Against the Ropes
by Kelli83
Summary: Skyler Grace lives to be in the squared circle. Life of a WWE Diva is never easy, but Skyler would never give up this life for anything. She never thought she would find anything more important than being in that ring until the day that she met a large Samoan during her visit to FCW in 2011 with her brother CM Punk. [Roman Reigns/OC]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, all! This is my first wrestling fic. To those that follow me, I apologize to the "Never Let Me Go" readers. I have not abandoned that story, but it's on hold for now until I can find the desire to come back to it. Maybe starting another story that is not in the same universe as it will help with that. Without further adieu.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with WWE nor the superstars that are mentioned. I only own the character of Skyler Grace. This is fiction.**

**Bio for OC**

**Full name**: Grace "Skyler" Brooks

**Date of Birth**: December 12th, 1983

**Place of Birth/Resides**: Chicago, Illinois

**Family**: Phil "CM Punk" Brooks, biological brother; Chez & Cassie (both older), Chaleen (younger), adopted siblings

**Physical Features**: Sandy hair/Blue Eyes 5'7"/ 125 lbs

**Ring Name**: Skyler Grace

**WWE Debut**: 2004 (part-time), mostly valeted Randy Orton; 2007 (full-time)

**First Meeting**

_October 21__st__, 2011: Kissimmee, Florida_

As she dug into the back pocket of her jean shorts, WWE diva Skyler Grace pulled out three wadded up one dollar bills and unraveled them enough to hand over to the concession stand cashier apologetically. "Sorry," she muttered with a soft chuckle.

"No problem, ma'am," the older gentleman assured, handing her back her change as well as her soft drink without the lid.

"Thank you," she told the man before turning around, taking a sip of her Pepsi and glancing around the area around her as people bustled around getting ready for the upcoming FCW match.

The twenty-seven year old diva started heading toward the locker room area looking for her older brother, none other than WWE champion CM Punk, for whom she had accompanied during his visit to WWE's developmental series. It was supposed to be a simple visit, a meet and greet with a few of the FCW fans, but somehow her older brother had been roped into doing a match that evening thanks to be called out by one of FCW's promising superstars – the somewhat psychotic Dean Ambrose.

Skye had been very familiar with Ambrose's background in wrestling. She remembered fondly of his days as Jon Moxley which she could say she had the pleasure of watching on the many videos that were floating around on the internet.

Ambrose had _a lot_ nerve calling out her brother especially in an arena filled with avid CM Punk fans. How could her brother possibly refuse a challenge like that? In fact, she could tell by the amused, admiration on her brother's face after the young Ambrose had spouted off insults that Phil Brooks saw a bit of himself in the lad.

_God help us all_, she had thought when she had stood alongside her brother while the Dean had paced angrily in the ring nearly twenty feet in front of them still clad in his wrestling gear, sweating and revved up.

When the man's crazy stare had moved in her direction, he let an egotistical smirk spread across his face acknowledging her with a nod as he stated confidently, "_How about _after_ I annihilate your brother, you reward me little kiss as a congratulations, doll. I'm sure I could really rock your world."_

And that did it, her brother might have walked away from the challenge just to spare the guy from embarrassment, but after Dean had made his snarky remark to Skye, it was a done deal. Phil Brooks was very protective of his little sister and no man would _ever_ show her disrespect in his presence. In fact, that seemed to ignite a fire in her brother for he had charged toward the ring and was being pulled back from refs before he could climb in and fight Ambrose.

Dean kept on provoking him from the ring as other refs kept him at bay, but he looked like a pacing, pissed off, caged animal.

With a mic in hand, Punk readied himself for a fight and even made it as far as hopping over the top ropes into the ring to go after Dean. The man in charge of the night, Morgan, had no other choice but to give the fans what they wanted and made the fight between CM Punk and Dean Ambrose the main event for the night.

So, instead of their day off being filled with signing autographs and watching some pretty talented athletes in the ring, her brother was now getting changed in the locker room and preparing for a fight while Skye could only roll her eyes. _Honestly, men and their egos_.

Shaking her head, she continued her search for her brother with her cold beverage in hand. She smiled at a few stagehands before rounding the corner and colliding into someone as he or she came around at the very same moment.

She let out a squeal when the collision sent the drink her hand flying back in her direction, soaking her tank top with cola. As the icy liquid hit the skin beneath the top, her eyes flew wildly toward the object that she had ran into, finding a rather large man staring at her wide-eyed and mouth agape.

"Shit," he gasped. "Oh man, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where the hell I was going. Damn, are you okay?"

"Other than being thankful that I decided _against_ coffee," she questioned sarcastically as she waved the empty cup pointedly. "I'm just _swell_ thank you. Congrats, you managed to empty the whole cup all over me." She stared down at her wet tank top with a sigh. Her blue eyes lifted to meet his grey colored ones and she was suddenly taken aback by how absolutely _gorgeous_ the man was. _I mean DAMN_.

The caramel skin man was huge in size and was wearing just a pair of black basketball shorts and an orange, cotton tank top which showed how muscular this fine specimen of man was. His physique made her mouth water as her eyes took in what looked like a tribal inspired tattoo on the upper part of his bicep. She let her eyes travel upwards taking in his long dark hair which was pulled back into a ponytail, pulled halfway through which revealed his chiseled jaw and goatee.

The term _sexy _just didn't seem like a great way to describe the Adonis standing before her. _Good lord take me now_, her body begged, but she tried to keep herself from moaning it out loud. _Composure, Brooks! Get yourself fucking together!_

Even though she was openly checking him out, he seemed oblivious and was still apologizing to her, "I feel like a total ass. I should have been paying more attention and now I've ruined your shirt."

"Dude, it was like five bucks at Target on clearance," she laughed, dismissively. "It's fine really. The only flaw is that I left my bag back at the hotel, so I guess I'll be sporting a nice brown stain while I watch my brother's match ringside."

"Now I feel worse," he stated, frowning. "Look, I might have something in the locker room you can wear. Granted it won't fit you in the slighted, but at least it will be dry and I can at least say that I tried to save face in front of one the most popular divas in WWE."

"You spilled my drink all over me. I'd say you have your work cut out for you," she teased with a slight wink. "I mean do you know _who_ I am," she added with a fake snobby tone.

He chuckled and grabbed for the empty cup, tossing it into a nearby trashcan. "Well, I never said it was going to an _easy _task, but I'm willing to do anything I can to make myself look less like an ass in the presence of a beautiful woman."

"It was accident," she clarified, trying to blush when his deep, sultry voice referred to her as beautiful. That voice of his could certainly melt the panties off a woman for sure. As the non-PG thoughts ran through her mind, she cleared her throat, "But, I'll take you up on your offer of a nice, dry shirt since you called me beautiful."

"Sure thing," he said nodding, motioning for her to follow him.

When he turned around, she quickly shot a quick glance at the man's ass. Certainly there had to be _something_ wrong with the guy. She sighed softly. _Nope, it looks absolutely squeezable_, she thought in disappointment. Where did they grow a guy like him? Smiling slightly, she took a few large steps to fall in step with him.

As they walked alongside each other toward the men's locker room, she pulled at her wet top, trying to pry it from her skin. When she looked back up at him, she was quite happy to see that his eyes were zeroed in on her chest area. Hey, she might not have bought her boobs like some other divas nor were they huge by any means, but she was rather flattered that he at least gave them an appreciative glance.

She cleared her throat, causing his eyes to dart away in embarrassment. "I, uh, really got you good, huh?"

"Yeah, I would say so," she agreed with an amused laugh as the two of them reached their destination in no time and he ducked inside to retrieve the shirt.

When he returned, he held two shirts in his hand, "I figured I'd let you choose. I know how women are about fashion and stuff."

"I shop at Target," she defended with a laugh. "This tank top is not exactly made by Gucci."

"I presume that Gucci is some kind of big deal?" he asked jokingly.

She gave him a playful glare and checked out her options. Her eyes focused on one shirt which happened to be a Tampa Bay Rays shirt and she gasped dramatically, "Are you _trying _to get me killed? I'm from Chicago. My brother would disown me if I go prancing around wearing _this._"

He chuckled, "Wouldn't want that." He tossed the shirt over his shoulder then held the other option out in front of him. "Will this appease him?"

She eyed the Georgia Tech shirt and nodded, "I think it's the safer of the two. He's a not a huge football fan, so I think he won't protest _too_ much. I mean he is quite the whiny bitch."

"Wise choice," he commented with a snort, handing the shirt over.

Her eyes glanced around, finding a women's bathroom not too far down the hall. "Be back in a flash," she told him and strolled over, disappearing inside.

After tossing her ruined shirt in the trash, Skye cleaned herself up a bit before slipping on the man's shirt. It was then that she realized that she didn't know the sexy fellow's name. "Well, that will have to change," she said simply as she stared at her reflection. She pulled at the shirt, but it swallowed her up, unsurprisingly. The guy was well over six feet. Even though she wasn't short by any means, he still had a good 5-6 inches on her.

The shirt covered most of her shorts, so she decided to tie the bottom part in a knot to try and make it look less like she was drowning in it. It worked well enough and so she turned, heading for the door. When she stepped out, she found the man leaning against the wall of the other side holding a fresh beverage.

His eyes took in the styling of his shirt she wore, "Nice touch."

"Thanks…" she said slowly, obviously fishing for his name.

"Right," he realized. "I never got the chance to introduce to myself since all I could focus on was the fact that I drenched you with your drink." He held out his hand for her to shake, "You can call me Joe. I'm known around here as Leakee." When his large hand enveloped hers, she sucked in a breath as she felt the slight spark, but she could have been mistaken.

"Leakee," she repeated slowly as she released his hand. "That's different."

"It's Samoan. It's actually my first name spelled a bit differently," he explained conversationally. "They thought it'd be easier for the fans to pronounce if it was spelled like it sounds. It's normally L-e-a-t-i."

"Yeah I probably would have butchered it," she stated lightly. "_Joe_ it is then. I'm Skye. Of course, you already knew that." When he nodded in response, she then gestured at the drink in his hand. "Is that for me?"

"Uh, yeah," he answered, handing it out for her. "I owe you for the one I dowsed you with. I'm hoping that this will earn me your forgiveness."

Eyeing him closely, she took the drink from him. "That really depends," she answered idly.

"On?"

"Whether or not you went with regular Pepsi rather than the diet," she responded with a quick smile. "If you chose diet than you're implying that I have body issues and would willingly choke down that sewage. If you chose regular then you have better sense than most men would."

"Wow," he commented, "That's _a lot_ of pressure on a guy."

"Basically," she answered with a flirty look. "So, which one did you choose?" She brought the cup to her lips and took a swig. When she tasted nothing remotely diet about the drink, she smiled, "Well done." She took another sip and nodded at him. "You're forgiven." Glancing around, she figured that it was getting pretty close to main event time due to the scarcity of wrestlers wandering the halls. "I should probably find my brother before he heads out."

"Yeah, it's going to be some kind of match between those two. I know we're all going to be watching back here."

"Thus my reason for being ringside, I'm not going to miss a single second of it." She held up her drink. "Thanks again for this and lending me the shirt."

"It was a pleasure," he told her with another smile. "I hope this isn't the last I see of you this evening." He gave her a quick wink and turned, heading in the opposite direction of where the gorilla position was located.

With a goofy smile upon her face, she went in search of her brother, finding him talking with FCW officials. He saw her coming and said his goodbyes before walking her way.

Grabbing her drink from her hand, he took a quick swig of it before he questioned her attire. "What's with the shirt? Since when do you support anything collegiate?"

Shrugging, she took back her drink and answered, "I ran into a FCW guy and spilled my drink all over my other shirt."

"Sounds like you," he teased, earning an elbow from his younger sister.

"He _ran_ into _me_," she defended. "Pepsi went everywhere and he was kind enough to give me one of his shirts. I figured this shirt was better than the Rays shirt that was also offered."

"I guess it's the lesser of two evils," Phil agreed, zipping up his hoodie. "Though I guess it would have been too logical just to hit the merchandise area and buy yourself another shirt." When she shot him a look, he batted his eyes at her. "It's cute the way that you go about picking up potential suitors."

"Potential suitors," she repeated with an amused look. "It's 2011, Phil. Besides, I didn't have any more cash on me. I barely had enough to purchase the said drink."

"So, what's the man's name?"

"His name is Joe, but he goes by Leakee inside the ring."

"Weird name," Phil commented with a snort.

"As opposed to CM Punk," she asked briskly.

"Touché," he laughed. "So, he's a wrestler then?" When she nodded, he asked, "Do I have to go all big brother and grill the guy about his intentions? Because I will after I teach young Ambrose a lesson in the ring."

She rolled her eyes, "We barely had a conversation. Let's not rush things."

He eyed her in a knowing manner, "So, you won't be giving him your number later then?"

She glared at him, "The thought _may_ have crossed my mind. Don't pressure me!"

He held his hands up, "Hey, I'm not going to ruin your game, I promise, Gracie. Any guy that gave you that goofy look that you had on your face when you walked up must be something _special_." He quickly dodged a flying fist, laughing as he trotted over to the open door to the arena just as his music hit.

Shaking her head, she disposed of her drink and followed her brother out into the screaming crowd. She waved and slapped a few hands as she walked behind him as he made his way to the ring where Dean was already waiting. They took a left turn heading for the opposite side of the ring from where Ambrose was standing. Phil jogged up the steps and entered the ring eyeing his opponent in amusement.

She followed, ducking under the top rope. While her brother climbed up onto a corner post and yelled "Best in the World" to the crowd, Skye leaned against the ropes and smiled proudly. It really showed a lot for her brother's character to be doing something like this. Taking time to come back to where he and she were launching their own careers in the same type of division as this and taking on a promising up and comer.

She tried to do the same from time to time.

Soon the match was underway. The first few minutes were spent with the two of them toying with the other, but soon the real wrestling began and it was certainly a sight to be seen.

Even with the level of experience that her brother had, Ambrose was holding his own and in return impressing the hell out of Skye. He really knew how to work the crowd. He was okay with being hated and being booed. He really knew how to stay in character and even though she was just a bystander watching, she took great joy in getting to slap the cocky smirk off his face after he had performed a move on her brother that sent Punk to the mat.

After he had done the move, Dean had stuck his upper body between the ropes to send an asshole remark her way and she reared back and slapped him across the face which seemed to excite the crowd immensely. She too found herself satisfied at his shock expression when her brother dragged him away and the fighting continued.

The match lasted for nearly twenty minutes before Phil regained the upper hand and finally performed his signature GTS closing move. When he had Ambrose pinned, she had to let out a laugh when her brother checked to make sure that the goods were okay after the low blow from Ambrose to the nether regions.

When the ref held up her brother's hand victoriously, the crowd began chanting "One more time! One more time!"

On the other side of the ring, she saw Dean slowly climbing to his feet on the outside of the ropes. Phil approached him and sent him flying over the ropes into the ring, his back slamming the mat. When Dean was back to his feet again, Phil lifted him back onto his shoulder to perform the finishing move again and kneed Dean in the face, sending him flying between the ropes and out of the ring into the small crowd of FCW guys that had come to ringside after Ambrose had been pinned.

As she climbed into the ring, her eyes quickly looked for Joe amongst the crowd of wrestlers. She finally spotted someone wearing orange and smiled when she realized it was him. Before the two could make eye contact, she let out a sudden yelp when she was jerked into a sweaty hug by her brother.

"Ew," she let out, trying to shove him away only to have him lift her up obnoxiously and swing her around. "Put me down, you dork."

He let out a loud laugh and does so. "You're no fun." He quickly messed up her hair before continuing his celebration.

"Jerk," she yelled out to him as he climbed onto the nearby corner post, holding his hands up in victory. The crowd got louder with the encouragement of some FCW guys. She ran her fingers in her tussled hair and let her eyes travel to outside the ring where Joe stood watching her with a grin.

She approached his clapping form and dropped down to sit crisscrossed, "Enjoy the match?"

"Absolutely," he answered with a firm nod. "Though I think I was more distracted by the beautiful woman ringside who apparently a packs a good slap."

"He probably deserved it," a shirt-less wrestler with long, dark hair commented as stepped up beside Joe.

"Oh I don't doubt that," Joe agreed then introduced the man. "Skye, this is Colby aka Seth Rollins."

"We've met before," Colby mentioned which caused Skye to look at him questionably. "A couple of years back," he added, "in Ring of Honor."

Then it dawned on her and she nodded, shaking the man's hand, "That's right. You went by Tyler Black back then. We met during Ring of Honor's Survival of the Fittest in 2009. I was visiting an old pal of mine Colt Cabana while recovering from my collarbone surgery. It's good to see you in FCW."

"Thanks," he said gratefully then grinned at Joe. "So, my friend here is already on a first name basis with CM Punk's little sister – that's _interesting_."

"It's really not," Skye laughed as Joe elbowed his fellow competitor. "It's good to see you again, Colby." She jumped when she felt her brother run up behind her to climb the corner post to her right in celebration then dropped back down to walk over to the center of the ring where flopped down and began doing "ring angels" known to normal people as snow angels. Rolling her eyes, she returned her attention to the men outside the ring, "That's my cue to end the embarrassment."

Her eyes went over to Joe who nodded. "I'll catch up with you backstage?"

This brought a small smile to her face and she nodded, "Yeah, sure." She climbed to her feet then turned to rejoin her brother in the center of the ring.

As he watched her try to pull her brother up only to be swatted by the WWE champion, she ended being dragged down to join him and began doing her own ring angels, Joe couldn't help but laugh at the scene.

"Wow," Colby commented, causing the Samoan to break eye contact. "I've never seen you so enamored by a chick before man, at least not as long as I've known ya."

"Enamored," Joe asked with a scoff, turning and following the rest of the guys to the back with Colby falling in step with him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Dude, I was watching you backstage. Every time the camera panned over to ringside, you were on high alert when her face appeared on screen. Admit it, you are _so _intoher. You _like_ CM Punk's little sister." He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "God, do you have some kind of death wish? Dude doesn't seem like he would just let _anyone_ date his sister. I mean check out the aftermath with Randy Orton. That feud doesn't seem like it's ever going to end."

Joe snorted, "I could take the guy, Rollins, no problem. Besides, I think you're rushing things a bit. We only spoke for a few minutes after I dumped her drink all over her."

"_Smooth_," Colby commented with a chuckle, following Joe into the locker room where guys were gathering their things. "Is that your method for picking up women?" He laughed when Joe glared at him. "So, what, you're not going to get her number and see if the girl wants a bit of Samoan in her life?"

Jon Good approached the two, sweaty from his match and wiping at his face with a towel. "Who wants a bit of Samoan in their life because whoever it is they've got some competition." He grabbed Joe in a headlock and grunted, "Which would be me, pretty boy."

"Ha, ha," Joe muttered, annoyed at his two friends and pushed Jon away.

"So, who's the chick that's got Joe interested," Jon questioned, draping the towel over his shoulder.

"None other than WWE Diva Skyler Grace," Colby answered with wide grin.

"You mean the same chick that nearly slapped my head off my neck," Jon asked with large eyes. "Dude, she's _way_ out of your league."

"You don't know that," Joe argued. "She seemed really down to earth when we spoke. It's not too unreasonable to think that I might have a chance with her."

"We'll see," Colby snorted and he and Jon went to get cleaned up.

Joe frowned after them. Was he kidding himself? Were they from two different worlds and therefore had not chance of working out?

Ten minutes later, Skye leaned against the wall of locker room waiting for her brother as he got cleaned up. Many other male wrestlers had exited the locker room with their bags. Each nodded at her and she smiled politely in return silently hoping a certain _someone _was still around. She hadn't expected for her brother's celebration to take so long.

With a sigh, she walked across to the other wall and took a seat in a nearby metal chair, crossing her legs and pulling out her cell phone. As she went through her text messages, she noticed that she had missed a text from Nikki Bella a fellow diva and good friend.

_Hey chick! How's Florida?_

She responded with _Fine. My brother managed to get provoked into a match, but I managed to run (literally) into a very hot guy so I can't complain too much._

Moments later, Nikki replied with _Oh, details! Immediately! Snap a picture if you can! I must see this guy!_

Skye rolled her eyes and was in the middle of replying when the door the locker room opened, revealing Joe and Colby. The two were in the middle of a conversation, but Joe had seen her the moment the door had opened. He flashed a grin in her direction and continued listening to Colby as the other man went on about his fatal 4-way match earlier in the night.

While they were both busy, she switch her phone over to camera mode and sneakily zoomed in, snapping a quick picture of Joe for which she attached to message back to Nikki.

Her friend did not disappoint with her text back. _Holy shit! What a hottie! You better get on that!_

Skye bit her bottom lip to avoid giggling and texted back, _I know, right? Unfortunately one night stands are not my thing, but you better believe that I'll get his number._ When she saw Colby walk off, she hit the home button on her phone and clicked off the screen. Standing, she slipped her phone into her back pocket and approached him.

"Your brother should be out shortly," he informed her as he leaned his shoulder against the wall just beside the door he had exited while she leaned her back against the same wall.

"Thanks," she said with a short nod. She pulled at his shirt. "I hope you know that I plan on keeping this mainly because I tossed the other shirt in the trash."

"You should. It looks better on you than it ever did on me."

With her cheeks warming at his words, she tried to keep her voice level as she asked, "So, you're a fan of Georgia Tech I presume."

"Yeah, I played ball for them," he stated which caused her eyes to widen.

"That would explain why it felt like I was running into a brick wall," she commented jokingly. "You're obviously used to _blocking_."

"Again, I apologize," he said wincing slightly.

She laughed and reached to touch his shoulder, "I'm tougher than I look."

He glanced at her hand which caused her to jerk it back, letting it fall back to her side. "Yeah, I know you are definitely tougher than you look. Look, I still feel guilty for what I did, so I would really like to take you out for dinner tonight if you're available."

Her shoulders slumped slightly as she frowned, "I'm sorry, Joe, but I can't."

Losing his smile, he nodded, "I understand. I guess it was a long shot…" _Maybe I was kidding myself._

"No," she interrupted, quickly. "I'm not turning you down! I just can't tonight. My brother and I are hopping on a plane to Texas for the Pay-Per-View as soon as we swing by the hotel for our things. I'm trying to get the title back from Beth Phoenix, so I need to put in some extra training."

Joe went to say something, but was interrupted when the door to the locker room opened and Dean Ambrose appeared freshly showered. He paused to look at them and he grinned in Skye's direction. "That was one helluva slap, doll. Sure you don't want to give me that kiss I requested?"

"Ambrose," Joe sighed in warning.

"Now why would I do that," Skye questioned with her hands on her hips, and tilted her head slight. "You _lost_."

The jab didn't seem to faze Dean at all. He just chuckled. "I'll leave you two be. Catch up with you later, man."

When walked past, Skye turned to call out to him, "Hey, Ambrose."

Turning around, he eyed her with a smirk, "Change your mind? I get it. Most women can't turn _this_ down."

Amused, she rolled her eyes, "Hardly. Look, my brother doesn't go around praising people like he did for you tonight, so I hope that you realize that you've gained his respect. Personally, I can't wait to see you on the main roster. I'm confident that my brother will make sure the execs won't screw things up the moment that you do."

Dean's face seemed to lose its cockiness a bit as he cleared his throat. He didn't respond to her words just nodded in what looked like appreciation and turned to walk away.

Smiling, she turned back to Joe who had an awed look on his face. "Look, I'm sorry that we can't get together tonight, but…" She pulled out her phone and clicked away at the screen before glancing up at Joe. "If you give me your number, we can try another night when one of us is free and can travel to visit the other. I know it's probably not _ideal_, so if you aren't for that…"

"It sounds like a great plan," he agreed, surprising her and he rattled off his number.

With a small smile, she typed it in then proceeded to compose a text with her own number included then hit send. "There. We both have each other's numbers so give me a call sometime and we can at least get to know each other more."

At that moment, Phil walked out of the locker room and eyed the two of them when their eyes shot his way. "So this must be _Joe_ or my sister has more game than I have ever given her credit for."

"Yes this is Joe. And I still have more game than you," she countered, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"I'm in a two year relationship and you're still single," he pointed out

"It's been more of an off and on thing," Skye pointed out.

Ignoring his sister, he held his hand out to Joe. "It's nice to meet you. I wish we had more time for me to do the whole overprotective big brother bit, but we have a flight to catch."

"Some other time then," Joe reasoned good-naturedly as they shook hands.

Her brother chuckled, "You better believe it. I don't just let anyone date my sister."

Skye spoke up with a snort, "I'm sorry..._let_? Since when do you have any say in that area?"

"Uh I might have used the wrong wording there," Phil replied uneasily, backing away. "I'm ready whenever you are, sis."

"I'll catch up," Skye told him with narrowed eyes and Phil headed for the exit. She spun back around to face Joe again. "Well, Joe, it was lovely to have run into you, literally."

He let out a deep laugh, "Uh, yeah, dumping a woman's drink was not one of my finer moments, but I definitely will take that disastrous meeting than not meeting you at all."

As the words sunk in, she stared at him in wonderment, "I don't know if I'm quite ready for a guy like you, Joe, but consider me curious." With a small wave, she backed away. "Take care."

"Have a safe trip," he said in return, wondering what she meant with the whole statement about not being ready for a guy like him. _There has to be some backstory to that._

Nodding, she turned and walked away with the biggest grin on her face. She dared to glance over her shoulder at the man responsible for that grin and found him watching her go.

**A/N: So, what did you think? My plan is to make the story mostly one shots about their relationship as well as the in-ring wrestling storylines later on. Please Review and let me know your thoughts. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I apologize for the long wait for an update. It took me longer to get this one out. The next one is half way done. Please excuse any grammar errors. It's nearly 4 in the morning and I tried to proofread it. **

**I know I said that this story would be one shots, but the way that this is going I think it will be a full fledged story. We shall see. For the first few chapters, it will be the beginning of Skye and Roman's relationship. The later chapters will take place in 2013-2014., so there may be some one-shot like chapters dealing with different aspects of 2013. Again, we shall see where this thing goes. Also, I'm very new to the sport, so I may not know too much about certain things, so if I'm incorrect about anything please PM me and I'll make sure to fix it. **

**Thank you so much for those that reviewed. I was quite nervous posting this, but I just couldn't shake the idea from my mind. Hopefully, I won't disappoint. Please review. Also, for fun, I've made a tumblr site that goes with this fic, so check out my profile and take a look. :)**

**Welcome to Tampa**

After losing during her Pay-Per-View match against Beth Phoenix and not being able to win back the Diva's title, Skye had been very bummed by the loss and had thought that _nothing_ would be able to cheer her up - until she received a voicemail from a certain _someone_ that she had met just days prior.

As she ruffled through her duffle bag in the diva's locker room, Skye finally found her phone and dropped down onto the bench with a soft sigh as her eyes gazed at the screen, noticing a missed call from Joe from just a few minutes ago.

Excitement filled her body upon seeing his name. They hadn't spoken since that night in Kissimmee, Florida mainly because of her upcoming match in the PPV _Vengeance_ which was just 2 days later. The only contact that two made were a few texts back and forth when they had a brief moment to do so, but no actual conversations had taken place.

With a small smile, she pressed the phone to her ear after hitting play and waited.

_"__Hey, Skye, it's Joe. You're probably just now heading back from the ring, but I just wanted to leave you this message. I watched your match and I know it's a loss, but know that you put your heart and soul into it. I was able to see it and the guys I was watching with saw it. You'll get that title back again, I promise, baby girl. You look much better with that title on your shoulder than the Glamazon could ever look." _His deep chuckle filled her ear, causing her to nearly squeal. _"Anyway, call me when you've had time to relax and unwind after your match. I'm thinking of you. Talk to you soon. Bye."_

Hanging up, she stared at the phone with a dopey smile before gathering some stuff then headed toward the shower area to get cleaned up before calling him back.

* * *

_November 2__nd__, 2011_

A few weeks later, Skye sat at the small desk located in her hotel room staring at the very handsome Samoan man on her computer screen. "I have some news," she told him as soon as the small talk had dialed down.

"Fire away," he responded.

"I've been checking out my schedule and it looks like I have some time off coming up next week, so that means," she stated nonchalantly with twinkling eyes.

"We finally get that first date," he guessed, hopefully with a large grin.

"Yep," she answered happily. "As much as I've enjoyed our long talks and FaceTime's I really would like to see you in person again."

"I know what you mean, baby girl," he agreed, causing her cheeks to warm.

Every time he called her _baby girl_ seemed to render this reaction. "So, you'll be in Tampa, correct," she asked, regaining her composure.

"Yeah the next few shows are there," he answered, nodding. "So, how long do I get you for?"

Glancing down at the calendar before her, she bit her bottom lip, "Well, it looks like I have the 9th through 11th free, but on the 8th I'll be taping Smackdown in Liverpool, so I'll be on the next flight out to Tampa and won't be arriving till the evening on the 9th."

"When you find out the time, let me know and I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Joe, it might be late," she argued softly.

"I insist," he stated firmly.

Smiling, she nodded, "Fine, if you _insist_ then how can I say no?"

"I want to spend every moment that I can with you," he explained simply. "Don't get me wrong. I love seeing your face and talking to you over the phone, but to finally see that beautiful face in person again is a definite _must_."

She sighed loudly, "You really know what to say to girl to make her lose all ability to think clearly."

He laughed, "Is that a bad thing?"

"For me, _yes_," she answered, truthfully. When a knock sounded at her door, her head turned in its direction before turning her attention to the man on her screen. "Excuse me, Joe, there's someone at the door." She pushed herself up and headed to her hotel room door, opening it and finding Nikki Bella on the other side.

"Hey," her friend greeted with a cheerful smile. "Busy?"

"Kind of," Skye remarked, glancing back at her laptop. "I'm Facetiming with Joe."

Nikki's eyes widened in delight, "Oh _really_." She brushed past Skye who stared suspiciously at retreating form before closing the door, and following the brunette further into her room where she found Nikki sitting in front of the screen.

"So, _this_ is Joe," Nikki asked wickedly.

"That would be me," Joe replied, eyeing her curiously. Obviously, he was aware that she was one of the Bella twins, but he wasn't quite sure which one she was.

"Nikki Bella," Skye introduced, saving him from having to guess. "Don't worry. It's hard for a lot of people to tell them apart."

"For now it is," Nikki corrected as she pointed at her chest. "I'm planning on getting my girls worked on and soon everyone will know which twin I am."

Skye rolled her eyes and Nikki laughed.

"Skye is completely against the idea," she explained to Joe, whose eyes lifted to meet Skye's in question.

"I just think that they are unnecessary. I'm happy with what was given to me."

"I have no complaints," Joe reassured, causing her to smile slightly in gratitude.

"You two are absolutely adorable," Nikki commented, seeing her friend blush at the big man's words. "So, when are you two meeting up again? I hope it's soon because this girl can't stop talking about you, Joe."

"Nikki," Skye hissed, wanting to jerk her away from the computer before she humiliated her any further. "You wonder _why_ Brie is my favorite."

Nikki snorted, "What? I'm just stating that you talk about the guy a lot. I mean that should flatter Joe not scare him off."

"I'm sure a few of my friends could say the same about me," Joe told her, making Skye feel less embarrassed. "To answer your question, we were just ironing out the plans. I'll be hopefully seeing your friend as soon as next week."

"Well, don't let me keep you," Nikki said, smiling at Skye. "I have to meet Nick anyway."

"Give Ziggler my best," Skye told her.

"Will do," Nikki returned her attention to the screen. "It was nice talking to you, Joe. I hope that you realize that you got yourself a good one here."

Nodding, Joe spoke, "You don't have to tell me that. Believe me I know."

Nikki glanced over at Skye with a wide smile, "You were right, girl. That voice _could_ really melt the panties off a woman."

As Skye's jaw dropped, Nikki just waved and headed for the door leaving her friend dumbfounded.

Shaking her head, she plopped down in the chair with a groan causing Joe to chuckle. "Please forget those past few minutes even existed."

"So, you got a thing for my voice, huh," he questioned jokingly.

With a small smile, she cocked her head, "Maybe."

"So, it – according to you - could _melt _the panties off a woman," he asked, intrigued. "Hmm, I may have to use this power to my advantage."

She rolled her eyes, "Don't go and get a big head, fella."

"Well, you were the one that made the statement," he pointed out with devilish gleam in his blue-grey eyes.

"As if you are unaware of the affect that you have on women," she accused.

"I have _no_ idea what you're talking about," he commented innocently with a smirk.

"Yeah, _right, _your cousins have told me a thing or two about you being a ladies man in high school and college," she explained, speaking of his twin cousins, Jimmy and Jey Uso, who she had befriended more since learning of Joe's _huge _family tree in the world of wrestling.

"I've told you to never trust those two," he reminded with narrowed eyes. "You really shouldn't hang out with them. You may change your mind about me. Hang out with Sarona. At least she likes me," he stated speaking of his cousin by marriage aka Tamina.

"Oh, she has a few juicy things to say about you, but you're right she's kinder in some sense." Then she remembered, "Oh yeah. I'm facing her in Liverpool. I'm pretty excited. We've been doing some work in the ring together to prepare."

"Too bad I won't be able to see it happen live, but I'm sure you'll whip her ass. Just keep that between us though, okay?"

She giggled, "Okay, you're secret is safe with me. I'm pleased that we've moved on from your _panty melting_ voice so that my face can return to its natural color."

He smiled sheepishly at her. "Honestly it shouldn't embarrass you. I like that there's something about me that you like."

"Well, it's not the _only _thing I like," she reasoned. "It's just my favorite thing so far."

"For me it's your eyes," he told her. "I have a thing for your eyes. I find myself getting lost in them. I can't wait to see them in person again."

Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip and she found herself looking away. _God, this man and the things he says!_

"So," he stated lightly. "What would you like to do on our date?"

Her eyes returned to the screen, "I'm not hard to please."

"I want it to be special," he argued playfully. "I'm not huge on romance, but I'd like for it to be a night you'd remember."

"I'm a simple girl," she responded, shrugging. "Expensive restaurants are nice, but I don't need that to have a good time. Just being with you will be worth my night, I promise."

He nodded, "I'll think of something."

"So, our _first_ date might result in our _first_ kiss," she said slyly causing him to chuckle.

"It better," he teased, causing her release a soft giggle.

"I think we should get the whole awkward, first kiss thing out of the way ahead of time," she suggested, causing him to raise a brow. "I don't know about you, but I always stressed over the anticipation of that kiss, so I never really got to thoroughly _enjoy_ the date."

"I get ya," he agreed with a slight nod. "So, what do you recommend?"

"I recommend that the moment that we're standing in front of the other that we just kiss."

"In the middle of an airport," he questioned, amused. She shrugged a shoulder, glancing away again.

"I don't know it seems a bit _romantic_," her eyes returned to his and questioned, "Don't you think?"

"Considering that I've been thinking of kissing you since the very moment that I met you – I'd kiss you just about anywhere, baby girl."

She grinned widely, "Good to know."

The two shared a laugh before falling into another topic of conversation, talking for another a few hours before signing off.

In just under a week, the two would finally be seeing the other in person, and it couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

_November 9__th__, 2011_

After a _very_ long flight across the Atlantic, Skye's plane finally touched down in Tampa, Florida a little after nine o'clock at night and she couldn't be _more_ ready to get off this plane. She wasn't the best flyer, but in this case it was the anticipation of finally getting to see Joe that had her extra anxious.

The old lady that had been sitting beside the entire flight clearly could see the young woman's anxiety.

"We're finally on U.S. soil again, dear," the old woman commented with a friendly smile. "You have someone special picking you up?"

Skye nodded, "Yeah. Actually this is the first time I've seen him in over a month." She pulled out her compact to quickly check her appearance and gasped, "I look horrible. Can we say yuck?"

The woman beside her chuckled, "You look fine. I'm sure the young man picking you up will have no complaints."

"If you could see what this guy looks like you'd understand my disgust." She pulled out a hair brush from her small carryon bag and tried to tame her wild hair as the older woman stood to join the rest of the passengers as they exited their seats.

Skye stared helplessly at her reflection noticing quickly how tired she looked. She barely slept on the nineteen hour flight and it clearly showed. She really could use a Caramel Frappuccino right about now.

After quickly applying a little makeup to hide those bags under eyes, she released a sigh as she noticed that the cabin was nearly empty.

"Okay," she whispered, closing her bag and standing. "I guess it's time." Slipping the backpack onto her back and grabbing her purse, she stepped into the aisle heading for the exit. "I really hope my appearance doesn't _scare_ him off."

Minutes later, she stepped foot into the airport, her eyes began looking around trying to find Joe in the crowd of people.

Her eyes finally located him and found herself smiling brightly when their eyes met. His face lit up and she quickly headed toward him and he did the same.

When they finally reached the other, there was a slight hesitancy before he finally pulled her in a firm hug. Her arms wound around his waist and just reveled in the wonderful feeling of being in his arms for the first time. _God_, _was he always this massive?_

"I can't believe you're finally here," he stated, inhaling.

Her head nodded against shoulder, "I know. I feel like I've waited for this moment forever. I felt like that flight would never end. I apologize for my hideousness."

He pulled back to study her appearance and shook his head, "You never looked more beautiful."

"Liar," she accused, teasingly.

"I would _never_ lie about something like that," he promised, smiling. "Though you do look like you could use some caffeine, so I've had time to scout the place and noticed a Starbuck's, so if you're interested…"

"_Yes_," she stated exasperatedly. "You've read my mind."

"Good, so we'll go grab your bags and then head over there before we leave," he told her, but never released his hold.

Obviously, like her, he hadn't forgotten what they had planned to do the moment they were both standing before the other. His eyes darted to her lips then ventured back to her eyes.

"I do believe we made some sort of arrangement last week," he reminded, causing her to nod and grow a bit nervous.

"That we did," she answered in anticipation.

"No pressure," he insisted as his face lowered slowly.

"I'm not feeling any kind of pressure," she assured, leaning up to meet him halfway. When their lips finally touched, she couldn't ignore the butterflies that filled her stomach as his arms pulled her closer. It was a simple kiss, but there was an obvious spark and Skye couldn't be more thankful. She traveled a long way and would have hated if there had been _nothing_ behind the kiss.

After all, they had connected so much during their phone calls and video chats. This was just icing on the cake.

They pulled away and seemed to stare at each other a moment, neither of them speaking, but both were wearing huge smiles.

She cleared her throat, "So, that didn't suck." She felt his chest rumble with his chuckle.

"It most definitely did not," he proclaimed, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face. "I'm so glad that you're here."

"Me too," she said, loving the feel of his hand upon her cheek.

"How about we go get that coffee now?"

"Do I look that bad," she asked with a groan, suddenly self-conscious of her appearance.

"You look like someone that needs to get her cute little butt in bed," he replied, pulling away, but keeping an arm draped around her, and leading the way toward baggage claim.

"I know we planned our first date for tonight, but I don't think I have the energy to go out," she said apologetically. "Plus, my flight was delayed a bit in Manchester."

"Don't worry," he told her, soothingly. "We have all day Friday to do something together. I have time tomorrow afternoon too before the show. We can get breakfast, and then maybe go take a walk on the beach…"

"That sounds nice," she said smiling. "We can still do something tonight. Maybe order room service and order a movie?"

"Sounds great," he said, pulling her closer to his side as they continued their trek to baggage claim. "Now let's grab your bag and your coffee then hit the road."

She nodded and just enjoyed the wonderful, warm feeling that being pressed to his side felt.

When they reached the location to grab her bags, they parted to be able to keep an eye out. He even allowed her to _attempt _to retrieve her large bag after her immediate insistence.

He had to admit that it was quite comical watching her as she cursed to herself after the third failed attempt left her bag-less. "May I give it a try," he asked, fighting back a grin.

She glared playfully at him, "What, is this whole display not entertaining enough for you?"

"Actually, I find it adorable, but really at this rate it'll be nearly be midnight before you finally manage to grab your bag."

She motioned at him, "Have at it."

He laughed and took a step forward to the moving conveyor belt and located her large suitcase, easily grabbing it and heaving it off. "Damn, woman," he groaned, placing it on the ground. "What do you have in this thing?"

"I'm a woman who lives on the road," she pointed out defensively. "It's not _that_ heavy. What's the matter? The big, tough Samoan can't lift an itty bitty bag," she teased, poking at his muscled bicep.

"Cute," he commented, throwing her a humorous look. "Let's go get your coffee." When she reached for her bag, he waved her off. "Nah, I got it." He extended the handle, tilting it on its wheels then offered his hand out to her.

Smiling, she laced her fingers through his and allowed herself to be pulled alongside him.

After making it in time before Starbucks closed, Skye got herself a Caramel Frappuccino and they both headed for the exits.

"So, how did you match go with Tamina," he asked when they exited the airport, heading to the parking garage.

Her face lit up as she answered, "I beat her with my swinging neck-breaker. It was pretty awesome match though."

"Congrats," he praised. "She's pretty amazing in the ring."

"You got that right," she agreed. "I mean even Beth and Natalya don't have her strength."

"You're pretty tough too...you're probably one of the strongest female wrestlers in the business now."

"You're just saying that," she said bashfully.

"I'm not saying that to impress you," he cleared. "I really think that. I mean hell you've held every title in every wrestling division you've been in."

With a wide grin, she inquired, "Have you been googling me?"

"Uh," he replied, clearing his throat. "I might have looked up a few things about you. That doesn't weird you out?"

As they approached a vehicle which assumed was his rental, she shook her head, "No, it's cute. I'm afraid to ask what else you read. There's no telling what's being posted about me."

"I'll only believe what you want me to," he vowed as he opened the back door and placed her suitcase inside then reached for her backpack.

Handing it over, she smiled, "Good."

When her things were loaded, he closed the back door and reached for the passenger side door. He pulled it open for her and she smiled in thanks before sliding inside.

Soon they pulled out of the parking garage. "We're lucky. Our hotel isn't that far from the hotel."

"Good, I can't wait to unwind a bit," she stated as she sipped on her beverage. "So, are you ready for your match tomorrow night?"

He nodded his head as he concentrated on the road, "Yeah. I'm going against this new guy – Nick Rogers."

"I can't wait to see you finally wrestle," she remarked excitedly. "I wish I could be ringside, but..."

"I'm cool with our relationship being private," he assured her then bit his bottom lip. "I mean if that's what you want to call whatever this is," he corrected quickly.

"We can figure out how to label this whenever the timing feels right," she said simply and he nodded in agreement. "I mean granted in a normal circumstance we'd know if were compatible and interested in starting a relationship..."

"We should take it slow," he concluded. "I mean this is our first actual opportunity to spend time with each other and we should ease ourselves into it."

"Absolutely," she affirmed, smiling. "So, have you decided what you want to do on our date?"

This brought a sly smile on his face. "It's a surprise," he responded, secretively.

"I hate surprises," she whined.

"Tough," he shot back.

"You're lucky I like you," she muttered with a frown. "Will I like it?"

"I hope so," he answered honestly.

* * *

Minutes later, they arrived at the _Sheraton Hotel & Suites _and Joe parked the vehicle in an available parking spot. After grabbing her things, the two headed inside.

Crossing the lobby floor, Joe waited as Skye walked over to the concierge desk to check in and get her room key.

When she returned, he asked, "What floor are you on?"

"Four," she answered.

"Cool, I'm on the third," he stated and led the way to the elevators.

They stepped inside the compartment and she pressed the #4 button then joined him near the back.

"So, I was thinking that I'd drop you off at your room, so that you could get settled then I'd come back up and we'd order something to eat then order a movie if that sounds good to you?"

"That sounds fine to me," she answered as the elevator came to a stop on her floor. They exited and she led the way to her room.

He carried her luggage inside and placed it on her bed then turned to face her. "So, I'll see you in about a half hour?"

Nodding, she bit her bottom lip and eyed him wondering he was going to kiss her before he left. She rather enjoyed the short kiss at the airport and though she wasn't expecting something extravagant this early on in her visit, but she wouldn't mind another chance to feel his lips against hers again.

"Will it be okay if I kiss you again," he asked her, taking the pressure of her having to ask.

Granting him the permission to do with a quick nod of her head, he stepped forward to place a hand on her hip and the other cupping her face. His head lowered and captured her lips immediately, applying more pressure to this kiss then their previous one.

While it was still brief, it certainly had the same effect on her insides and she pulled away smiling. "See you in a bit," she told him lightly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

He took few backwards steps toward the door. "Have I mentioned how glad I am that you're here?"

"You did, but I can't say that I'm tired of hearing it," she told him, truthfully.

"Good," he laughed, turning and walking through the sitting area and opening the hotel room door. He glanced over his should and sent her a warm smile before exiting.

When the door closed behind him, she released a tiny squeal before plopping down onto the bed, flat on her back.

An hour and half later, the two were situated on the couch in her sitting area as the romantic comedy _Crazy Stupid Love_ played on the flat screen in front of them.

While they started out sitting on the couch with enough space to fit another person between them, it only took about thirty minutes into the movie before Skye scooted closer. The movement encouraged him to drape an arm along her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest as he reclined his body a bit.

With a small smile, she tucked her legs up onto the couch and sighed. "You know Ryan Gosling's face really does not go with his body."

He snorted, "I don't know how to respond to that. I thought all women liked Ryan Gosling?"

"Eh, he's okay," she stated dismissively.

"Good to know," he chuckled, as she shifted a bit to get more comfortable. "What about my face? Does it go with my body?"

"Most definitely," she answered, turning her head and tilting it up to look at him. Boldly, she leaned up slightly to press a soft kiss to his lips before returning her attention to the movie.

Licking his lips, he pressed a kiss on the crown of her head and tried to concentrate on the movie playing on the screen in front of them. The gorgeous woman snuggled close to him was not helping manners.

The moment that he stepped into hotel room and caught sight of her dressed in her cute pajamas, he was completely enamored. Her attire was simple and was not meant to sexy by any means he was certain, but on her, he couldn't stop staring. She wore a peach colored, loose tank, and floral shorts with gray slippers and his eyes instantly went to her long tanned legs.

He tried not to stare too long, but found it rather difficult.

After ordering some room service before the restaurant closed downstairs and eating a delicious dinner, they had gone through the list of movies from the choices on the screen.

Now here he was with this gorgeous woman and he couldn't remember the last time he was this happy. He knew it was still too soon to know where this was going, but he liked what was occurring so far.

Settling back, he released a soft sigh. Within fifteen minutes, he noticed that that her head and rolled to the side, her cheek resting against his chest. Her breathing had slowed signaling that she had fallen asleep.

He wasn't surprised. Even after throwing back the large, frozen coffee, she still appeared exhausted.

After the movie ended, Joe figured he should wake her so that she could sleep more comfortably in her bed. Gently, he shook her, "Skye," he whispered.

She moaned softly, "Hmm..."

"Let's get you to bed, baby girl."

She doesn't move, "Okay," she yawned, snuggling more into his chest.

Smiling, he shifted and slid to the edge of the couch, his left arm still cradling her and he used his other to tuck under legs, lifting her up as he stood.

Carefully, he carried her to the adjoining bedroom where thankfully the covers had been pulled back, and laid her down. Once her head was settled upon a pillow, he reached down to grab the comforter and pulled it upward to cover her.

She shifted to lie on her side, but doesn't wake.

"Night," he uttered, leaning down pressing a kiss to her temple.

She released what sounded like a content sigh and straightened his back. He switched off the bedside lamp and walked from the room to clean up there mess before turning off all the lights and heading out.

* * *

The next morning, Skye had awoken around eight all snuggled in her bed with no memory of how she got there. When she realized that Joe must have placed her there, she was beaming.

She was about to call him when she heard a knock at her door. She knew that it had to be Joe, so after quickly trying to tame her bedhead, she walked over to the door and opened it.

He stood outside dressed in and Under Armor tee and shorts. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Great," she answered brightly.

"I was just about to go down to the fitness center to work out and wondered if you wanted to join me."

"Uh sure," she answered after thinking it over. "I'll meet you there."

"See you down there."

Nodding, she watched him walk toward the elevators and she ducked back inside to go and change.

Ten minutes later, she headed toward the hotel's fitness center and found it filled with a few hotel guests. She glanced around the room and found Joe in the middle of doing dumbbell curls. She stood watching him for a few minutes, seeing the sheen of sweat forming at his brow.

She couldn't help, but stare. How could she not? He was quite delicious.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one staring at the fine, Samoan man. She found a dark-skinned woman observing him as well. Soon the young woman approached where Joe was working out causing him to pause and glance at the woman.

He seemed to know her, so Skye concluded that she must have been a fellow FCW wrestler, but with the way that she was angling her body, she obviously had a thing for Joe.

She watched the two chat and found herself feeling a bit jealous of this woman even though she had no reason to be.

Joe's eyes glanced her way and his face seemed to brighten. "Skye, over here," he called out to her.

With a tight smile, she headed his way and felt the woman's dark eyes on her. She didn't miss the slight glare the woman threw her way nor did she care. "Hey," she greeted him as he placed the weights down so that he could step toward her and kiss her cheek.

The African American woman cleared her throat and Joe glanced her way, "Oh, Skye, this is Caylee Turner. She wrestles with FCW too."

"Hi," the woman said tightly.

"Hello," Skye said in return. Her eyes returned to Joe who was looking at Caylee.

"Uh, so I guess I'll see you at the arena," he said simply, and Caylee nodded.

"Sure. I'll see you there." She eyed Skye once more before exiting the fitness center.

Skye snorted, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, she didn't seem too please that I interrupted your conversation."

He chuckled, "She may not have, but I was." When she raised a questioning brow, he continued, "She's a bit of a flirt in the company. I guess I'm her next conquest." His eyes bored into hers. "Not that I'm interested."

"She's pretty," she commented, tensely.

"I guess," he shrugged. "Like I said, I'm not interested. I've got a certain WWE diva on my brain."

Her body relaxed at his revelation and she found herself smirking. "Oh really now?"

"Most definitely," he confirmed. "Now are you done with the whole jealousy act?"

"I wasn't jealous," she argued as she headed over to the treadmills just across from where he was lifting weights.

He chuckled, "Oh really? If looks could kill, she'd be six feet under by now."

"I have no reason to be jealous. We haven't committed to anything and you're free to date whoever you choose," she stated, stepping onto the equipment and pressing a few buttons, setting the speed to a brisk walk.

He walked over to stand beside the machine. "Even if we haven't established what we are yet, I have no interest in dating other people. Like I said, you've been occupying my mind too much, baby girl."

"Alright, I believe you," she said shaking her head with a grin. "Now go back to lifting those weights, big guy."

She glanced forward at the mirror in front of her, watching him as he returned to his spot and bent down to swipe up the dumbbells.

Again, she found herself staring at him as he worked out. He had an amazing body there's was no denying it.

As he did a few curls, Joe turned his head in the direction of Skye who was now jogging slowly on the treadmill across the way. His eyes couldn't help but take her in.

She was obviously a runner. She had told him this during one of their many conversations. She preferred running over weightlifting, but she always managed increase her strength through her own strict regimen. She was obviously doing something right.

"I don't think checking me out is going to do anything for you, big guy."

He chuckled, "Probably not, but it certainly helps me pass the time."

She laughed and continued her jogging while he kept checking her out with no regrets whatsoever.

**Well? I hope it wasn't too corny. Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so this was supposed to be the first date chapter, but it kind of took a life of its own and so I decided to just post it as its own separate chapter. The first date will happen in the next chapter. My plan is to have about three chapters of 2011 and move to 2013 things including WWE storylines. That's my plan. We'll see how it goes. Thanks to all of you that have reviewed the story or are just following it. I'm glad you're liking it so far. Hopefully, this chapter won't disappoint. Please let know your thoughts. :) Sorry for any mistakes. My brain is fried from being mentally exhausted and dealing with 20 four year olds for eight hours. TGIF tomorrow!

**Club Trouble**

_November 11__th__, 2011_

That night, Skye found herself wandering around backstage of the FCW Arena, waiting for Joe's match to begin. He promised to meet up with her before, but she knew that he needed the time to get in the zone, so she wasn't really expecting him to follow through.

She had been instructed to where she could sit and watch the matches backstage, and she was heading in that direction. She halted when she saw Caylee walk around out what she assumed was the female talent's locker room, and the woman caught sight of her and sneered, but kept walking.

"Bitch," Skye muttered, before another African American woman stepped out of the same door and froze when she saw Skye standing there.

The woman squealed, "Oh my god, Skye!"

Skye grinned brightly, "Trinity!" The two quickly hugged. "Girl, I haven't seen you since..."

"NXT Season 3," Trinity aka Naomi finished.

Trinity was referring to the NXT competition that she had been a part of while Skyler had been assigned as pro with Naomi's other competitor, AJ Lee, while Kelly Kelly served as her pro.

"Yeah, it's been a busy year," Trinity remarked with chuckle.

"So, how have you been," Skye asked as the two moved off to the side and out of the way to talk.

"Good, good," Trinity answered and casually held up her left hand, showing off her gorgeous engagement ring.

Skye gasped, "No way, congrats! Who is the lucky man?"

"Thank you! His name is Jonathan Fatu..."

Skye's eyes widened, "Jimmy Uso? That makes you _the _Trinity aka the woman he can't stop gushing over."

The other woman grinned, "Yeah that would be me. He told me that you were coming down to meet up with his cousin. How are things going with you two?"

Skye couldn't contain her smile, "Things are great. I mean I got into Tampa last night and we sort have just been hanging out. We've planned on going on our first date tomorrow afternoon at some undisclosed location that Joe's is being hush-hush about."

"Aw," Trinity gushed. "It sounds like he's really smitten by you. So, when do you leave?"

With a frown, Skye answered, "My flight leaves tomorrow around eight."

"I know the distance can be hard. Believe me, I get it."

"How do you make it work," Skye asked in frustration. "I mean we call and video chat as much as we can, but this is just the second time I've seen him in person and now I know that there's definitely something there between us. I just don't know how I'm going to handle being away from him or how this is going to work out. I've already had so many failed relationships in this business and I can't go through another one."

"It's not ideal that's for sure," Trinity admitted, but smiled encouragingly. "But it's possible when you're both on the same page and make the effort. Just like Jon and I, I mean my schedule is less hectic than his, so I do have to make more sacrifices to see him now that his career is taking off, but he tries his best to come out to see me too. Just like this weekend, I mean he's flying out today to see me wrestle and spend the night with me and leaving tomorrow afternoon. Yeah it's barely twelve hours, but it's worth it just to see him. I mean we get to spend a night home together and I can't beat that."

Skye nodded slowly, taking in the woman's words.

"He tries really hard to see me at least once a week. It's exhausting for him, but he says I'm worth it. You and Joe can try and work something out so you can see each other more. It just seems all hectic now, but it'll work out."

"I hope so," Skye replied sheepishly before being grabbed from behind in an elaborate hug.

"If it isn't my favorite diva in the WWE," the voice said exuberantly.

"Put her down, player," Trinity scolded her fiancée, who merely laughed and lowered Skye back down.

"Jon," Skye greeted with a laugh. "Too bad we couldn't have traveled here together. You would have made the trip back over the pond more entertaining than it ended up being."

"True that," Jon agreed, laughing. "We had a hell of a time on the way over, didn't we girlie?" She nodded in agreement and watched with a smile as he pulled Naomi into a hug. "Hey, babe. Sorry, the traffic getting here was a bitch."

"It's okay," Trinity told him, accepting his kiss as an apology. When they pulled away, she looked Skye's way, "Look, I know you're here to watch Joe compete, but I would _love _it if you could maybe watch my match tonight and give me some pointers of what to work on."

Her request really floored Skye so much that she stared at the woman in surprise. "Really? I mean yeah, sure. I'd love to." She smiled at both of them. "Well I'll let you guys visit with each other, but maybe I can manage to get myself ringside during your match, girl."

"Sounds good," Trinity said nodding, giving the other woman an excited hug.

"Well I'll catch up with you guys later."

"We'll plan something for tonight maybe," Jon said with his arm around his fiancée. "I don't get to hang out with my cousin much. Maybe hit up a club, so I can show you and cuz my fabulous dance skills?"

She laughed. "I'll run it by Joe." With a slight wave, she turned and began walking away from them.

After leaving the engaged couple behind, she found herself weaving her way through FCW stagehands before nearly being run over by a dark-haired man wearing a t-shirt and wrestling trunks. The man quickly halted, catching sight of her and grinned.

"Well, hello there."

There was something very off about the man's grin. It seemed very _fake_ and immediately she had her guard up. "Hello," she replied and stepped forward to pass him, but he blocked her path.

"So, Skyler Grace is gracing us simple folk here in FCW with her presence. How kind of you," he remarked condescendingly, his eyes raking over her.

She wrapped her arms around herself due to the uneasiness of his gaze and snorted, "I suppose. If you excuse me, I'm looking for someone."

"Well, you found him," he said cockily. He extended his hand, "I'm Brad."

"I'm not interested," she stated simply, not shaking his hand. She tried to move past him again, but he made a quick sidestep and prevented her from passing. "Please, move, _Brad_."

"And if I don't?" He grinned flirtatiously down at her, bringing a hand up to touch her face, but she quickly smacked his hand away.

"Don't you _dare_ touch me," she growled, her eyes filled with anger.

He merely cackled, "You are a feisty one. I like that in a woman. It makes all the female talent down here seem so innocent. Are you innocent, Skyler?"

"Just leave me alone," she requested, heatedly.

He pretended to think it over then shrugged a shoulder, "Where's the fun in that?"

She opened her mouth to make some snappy remark, but stopped when a deep, raspy voice behind Skye spoke up, "You got a problem, Maddox?"

Turning, Skye found Dean Ambrose standing behind her dressed in street clothes, his hair messy as usual.

"Just trying to get to know, Skyler here," Brad answered, shrugging. "It doesn't concern you, Ambrose, so mind your business."

"She's spoken for," Dean told him, waving his hand at Brad, dismissively. "So, move it along."

Brad eyed Dean a moment then glanced at Skye in amusement, obviously getting the wrong impression of Dean's interference. "Spoken for? Baby, I am so much better than _this_ bastard. I'd be more than happy to show you."

"Make one move in her direction, Maddox, and your ass is mine," Dean growled, taking a step forward only to be blocked by Skye who really didn't want this to end in a brawl.

"He's not worth it, Ambrose," she told him softly. He eyed her with his blue eyes, but continued advancing forward only to be pushed back by Skye. "Seriously, just walk away."

Fearing that she was going to have to break up an upcoming brawl, she was relieved when a third voice broke through the tension. "Everything okay over here," it asked.

Recognizing the voice, Skye smiled and glanced behind Brad.

Dressed in a t-shirt and wrestling trunks, Joe smiled at her, "Hey, baby girl. Are these guys giving you trouble?" He eyed Dean for a moment, but focused on Brad the most. Obviously, he could tell from everyone's body language that the perpetrator had been Brad and not Dean.

"Just one of them," Skye answered, glaring at Brad, who seemed to cower at the presence of Joe behind him.

"Yeah," Dean commented, smirking. "Found him bothering your girl."

Brad chuckled, uneasily and stated, "I meant no harm."

"Sure you didn't," Joe mocked, with dark eyes. "Here's a hint, Maddox. When a woman isn't interested, walk away like a real man. Now apologize and get the hell out of here."

Gaining an ounce of confidence, Brad puffed his chest out, "I don't have to apologize for anything especially not to some stuck up...b" He never got the opportunity to finish his statement for Joe had roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved him into the nearest wall.

"I _dare_ you to finish that statement," he growled, challengingly. "I'm warning you, if you even think of bothering this woman again or even _glance_ in her direction while she is here and I find out about it – your ass is done for. Do I make myself clear?"

With a clenched jaw, Brad nodded quickly and Joe released him, shoving him in the opposite direction from where they were standing.

With a glare in Skye's direction, Brad fixed his shirt then disappeared around the corner.

Dean snorted, "You've gone soft, man. Maddox deserved a lot more than just a shove into a wall."

"I think he handled it perfectly," Skye stated in Joe's defense with mild adoration upon her face. It's not every day that her honor is defended by a very sexy gentleman.

"You okay," Joe asked, dismissing Ambrose's comment and stepping forward and wrapping an arm around her.

"I'm fine. He was just being a jerk. I can handle jerks," she said to him, smiling. She looked over at Dean. "Thanks for stepping in."

"Anytime, darlin'," Dean answered, grinning.

Skye rolled her eyes, but knew that she didn't have to worry about Dean like she had to worry about Brad. Dean was just a flirt, but a flirt that knew when to back off.

"So, I ran into your cousin and Trinity," she told Joe. "They would like to get together tonight – maybe go to a club or something?"

"It's up to you," he answered. "You're the one visiting."

She shrugged a shoulder, "It sounds like fun." She glanced back over at Dean. "Interested, Ambrose? I'll buy the first round of drinks."

"Can't pass that up," Dean remarked. "I'll see if Seth's up for it." He glanced over at Joe. "Good luck tonight, man."

"Thanks," Joe stated, nodding his head. "And thanks for looking out for her."

Dean acknowledged him with a shrug, "I wasn't too worried about her. I've been on the receiving end of a slap from this woman. She can clearly take care of herself."

"Damn straight," Skye agreed, causing both men to chuckle.

"Call me with the details," Dean said to Joe then smiled at Skye. "It was a pleasure, my dear." With a quick wave, he was on his way.

"Are you sure that you're okay," Joe asked again, still ticked off at Brad harassing the woman before him.

"Yes," she reiterated firmly. "Joe, don't let a guy like Maddox get into your head. Yeah, he was a total douche, but not worth risking getting fired over."

"He disrespected you," he reminded, tightly.

"So, what, you're going to go beat up every guy that has a negative thing to say about me," she questioned, amused. "Because, honey, that might take the rest of your life."

"If I have to," he answered, softly chuckling.

"My hero," she teased, hugging her arms around his waist.

"Ha, ha," he stated, dryly. Shaking his head, he smiled at her. "Come on, I'll show you where you can watch the matches and hopefully avoid any other run-ins with Maddox."

The show went smashingly well. After watching a great three diva tag-team match, she got to enjoy seeing Brad get his ass kicked in his own tag-team match before Joe's match finally arrived. She watched proudly as her guy delivered one hell of a show.

Since this was her first time seeing him wrestle, her eyes were glued to the television screen in the back. Seeing him in just his wrestling trunks was definitely a sight to be seen. The man was _built_ solidly and he was very talented in the ring. When he won via pinfall, she cheered and turned to hug Trinity who had joined her and Jon to watch the rest of the matches.

* * *

Later that night, Skye was putting in a pair of looped earrings when she heard a knock sound at her hotel room door. Smoothing her hands over her dress, she stared at her reflection one last time before grabbing the small clutch on the vanity.

Moments later, she pulled open the door and found Joe standing there dressed in dark, denim jeans and a black polo shirt. It was simple attire, but on him it was just _wow._ As her eyes took in biceps that looked ready to burst out of his sleeves, she greeted him, "Evening."

His eyes looked her up and down before stepping forward to kiss her softly, "You look gorgeous."

Staring down at her off the shoulder, royal blue, t-shirt styled dress, Skye laughed softly, "Thanks." Her eyes lifted to meet his again. "You look pretty good yourself."

He held his hand out to her, "Are you ready?" Nodding, she took his hand and closed the door behind her.

An hour later, she was sipping on her martini as she talked with Trinity about her match. After having a shot with the group that she paid for, she was pacing herself for the rest of the night. She wasn't Straight Edge like her brother, but she wasn't a heavy drinker either. Two was usually her limit even if she was buzzed or not.

"Okay, I've seen enough," Trinity laughed as she stared out at the dance floor at her dancing fiancée. She shook her head. "The fool looks crazy out there by himself." Skye laughed and watched the woman join her man.

Someone came up to take the barstool beside her and she smiled slightly at Dean who was sipping his beer. "Having fun?"

"Eh," he answered with a shrug. "It's better than sitting in the hotel, I suppose." He glanced around. "Where's your guy?"

"I wouldn't really call him my guy," she corrected with a chuckle, but nodded toward the exit. "He got a phone call, so he went somewhere quieter."

"So, you guys haven't established what you are yet," Dean asked with a smirk. She shrugged and shook her head. "It's pretty clear to everyone in the vicinity that you guys are a _thing_."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Dean," she responded back with another laugh.

"It's Jon," he stated simply. "I figure if we're going to be hanging around each other because of the big guy then you should call me by my given name."

Smiling, she nodded, "Whatever you say, Jonny."

He glared at her, "It's Jon – _not_ Jonny."

She snickered, "Well, I already call Trinity's Jon, _Jon_, so it'll have to be Jonny to avoid confusion." She slipped off her stool and patted his shoulder. "You'll learn to love it, I promise. Will you tell Joe when he comes back that I'll be in the restroom?"

He snorted, "I'm not your messenger boy."

Skye rolled her eyes, "_Jonny_, be a friend and tell Joe where I am, please?"

"Fine," he uttered.

Shaking her head, she turned and walked in the direction of the restrooms. After spending several minutes in the long line, she finally was able to step inside and do her business. Once she finished, washed her hands, and checked her appearance in the mirror, she walked out and nearly groaned when she saw Brad Maddox leaning against the opposite wall where the men's restroom were located, appearing to have been waiting for her.

"I'm not in the mood," she told him, simply and moved past him. He jerked her back by her wrist, causing her to release a yelp.

"I don't _care_ if you're in the mood," he growled, obviously drunk off his ass. "You and you're half-wit boyfriend _embarrassed _me."

With rage in her eyes, she tried to pull herself free, "Don't you _dare _talk about him like that! Now, let go of me, asshole!"

He chuckled angrily, "I don't think so." He tugged her toward the back exit. "Let's go somewhere _quieter_ shall we?"

Once they were outside, she continued to fight out of his hold, but he still managed to drag her into a small alleyway.

He guided her back into a brick wall, "Now, we can talk." He smirked, stepping closer.

"You're drunk," she pointed out, with her free hand up. "Don't do something you'll regret later, Brad. Think about your career."

"I'm only giving you what you want," he pointed out, cockily.

"I don't want this," she reiterated, shoving him away as best as she can. "Now let me go!"

He released her wrist, pressing his body into hers. "How do you know unless you allow me to show you?"

Finally having enough, she grabbed his shoulder and reared her knee back then forward, kneeing him roughly in the crotch sending his body backwards.

With a satisfied smile, she began making her way out of the alleyway only hear him snap, "You bitch!" He regained his bearings and advanced toward her.

"What the hell is this," Joe's voice broke through darkness as he appeared out of nowhere. His eyes quickly took in Skye's appearance, seeing the fear in her eyes. His steel orbs narrowed as he set his sights on Brad who was struggling and holding his nether region. "I'll _kill _you," he growled, darting forward and shoving Brad down to the ground.

"Joe," she cried out, hurrying after him.

"What's going on," Colby asked appearing through the same door that she and Brad had exited with Jon by his side.

"Joe is about to _murder_ Brad," she filled in quickly. "Help me, please!"

"Why," Jon asked in confusion, watching as Joe grabbed Brad up by the collar, dragging him up to his feet. "The bastard deserves it."

Skye glared at him in annoyance then pleadingly glance over to the dark-headed man on his left. "Colby, please?"

Sighing, Colby took a few quick steps forward to break it up, but not before Joe reared back and clocked Brad on the jaw.

"I warned you, Maddox," he roared, preparing to hit the man again. "What were you planning on doing with her out here, huh? Were you going to _force_ yourself on her? Is that it?"

"Joe, come on," Colby tried to reason. "He's drunk. He wouldn't stoop that low."

"You don't know that," Joe spat, pushing his friend away.

Skye rushed forward, blocking him from going after Brad again. "Colby's right. He's very drunk. Look at him. He can barely stand on his two feet."

"He harassed you at the arena and he was clearly not drunk then."

"He was being a cocky bastard," she pointed out. "I deal with it from time to time. Yes, he went too far tonight, but let's not take this to a place that it could get more serious. You've made it very clear to him that he's out of line, so let's go back inside and have fun. Please?"

"I can't just let him get away with putting his hands on you," Joe stated, breathing heavily.

"I'm okay," she assured him. "Come on. I haven't got a chance to dance with you yet." When he shook his head and continued to glare at Brad, she placed her hands on his chest. "Look at me, Joe." It took a few coaxes, but his eyes locked on hers. "Calm down. I appreciate you so much for thinking you need to fight for me, but I need you to please walk away from this. I don't want to spend the rest of my trip in a police station trying to _bail_ you out." She cracked a smile.

"Could be fun," Jon spoke up in mild interest.

Throwing a glare his way, Skye sighed, "Not the time, Jonny." Her eyes reconnected with his. "Come on, big guy. Just walk away."

Joe stared into her eyes a few moments and slowly his body relaxed. He nodded. "Okay, let's go back inside."

She leaned upward to press a firm kiss to his lips, and pulled back, "Good. Now let's show me those dance moves of yours."

He chuckled lightly and allowed her to pull him toward the door. Colby and Jon took it upon themselves to put the bruised up Brad into a cab nearby before heading back into the club.

"So, _Jonny_," Colby asked, amused.

Jon rolled his eyes, "You try arguing with her. You just wait. She'll come up with a name for you too. And I hope it's horrible."

Colby chuckled and slapped his back. "You've made a friend. It's adorable."

"Fuck you," Jon muttered, shaking his head.

* * *

After dancing a few fast songs with the beautiful woman in his arms, Joe excused himself to go get a quick drink leaving Trinity and Skye on the dance floor while his cousin joined him at the bar.

"So, I heard about what happened outside," his cousin spoke up, taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah it was messed up," Joe replied, keeping his eyes on Skye dancing in the crowd. After what happened outside, he didn't want to lose sight of her for a single minute. "Somehow she managed to talk me into letting the guy go and not beat his face in."

After a few moments of watching his cousin's eyes never leaving the WWE diva, he grinned and commented, "You're pretty into her, huh?"

"That would be an _understatement_ at this point," Joe confirmed, shaking his head. "It's weird, man. It hasn't even been a month since we started talking. Our first date is tomorrow. I've spent a total of 24 hours with her and I'm falling hard already. It's crazy, right? There's still so much we have to learn about each other and I'm already head over heels for the woman."

Jon chuckled, "There's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes when you got that kind of chemistry there's no point in denying it. Just gotta let it happen."

"I don't want to rush things and fall too hard, too fast and scare her off. I feel like she might not be there yet and I don't want to force her into anything that she's not ready for."

"You won't," his cousin assured. "Just don't fight it. It's clear to everybody that there's definitely something deep between with you two."

Joe smiled as his eyes locked with Skye's and she blew him a kiss before turning to continue with her dancing.

"Does she know about her yet," Jon asked, causing Joe's eyes to drop from watching Skye.

"No," Joe answered softly.

"Man," Jon groaned. "You haven't told her yet? What the hell are you waiting for?" When his cousin shrugged lamely, he sighed, "She's going to find out about her eventually. You need to come clean and let her know that she's not the only girl in your life."

"I will," Joe argued, downing the rest of his drink. "Just not right now, okay?"

Jon shook his head, "Whatever. It's your choice. If it blows up in your face then at least I tried to warn you."

* * *

When the night finally ended at 3am, the group headed back to the hotel. After saying their goodbyes to Jon and Trinity, Colby, and Jon, Joe accompanied Skye up to her room.

"Well that was fun," she admitted, as she fished around her clutch for her keycard.

"It was," he agreed.

She grinned back at him, "You've got some decent dance moves for a large fellow."

He laughed, "It's kind of a family talent if you haven't already been able to tell after watching Jon."

She giggled, "Yeah. It must be a Samoan thing." When she got door unlocked and pushed open, she turned around. "I'd invite you in, but it's a little late."

"I understand," he stated, nodding. "No worries."

She smiled slightly, "You really are a good guy, Joe. I don't think I deserve you."

"Why's that, baby girl," he asked, taking a step forward.

"Past experiences," she said simply, shrugging.

He didn't press her to continue, but instead pulled her against his chest. Using his index finger, he lifted her chin, "Well, the past is the past. Whoever gave you up didn't _deserve_ you. That's my gain, baby girl."

"Stop calling me that," she whispered teasingly. "It makes it harder to not _swoon_ in your presence. I need to maintain some sense of self-control."

"Do I overwhelm you," he questioned, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"More than you know," she admitted. "It certainly makes it hard to take things slow with you, but I just don't want to ruin anything by jumping in too fast."

"I know," he whispered, cupping her face in his palm. "I try to keep my affection towards you to a minimum if that's what you would like."

Shaking her head, she answered leaning upward, "No need for that. I will just have to discipline myself against your flirty ways."

When their lips were just a mere breath a part, he chuckled lightly, "So, it's all on me? Do you realize what you do to me, woman?"

Tilting her head slightly, she answered, brazenly, "I have an idea." Her arms circled around his waist, pulling him closer and he took it upon himself to close the distance and capture her lips.

The two settled into the kiss before he took slight control and deepened it, causing her to press into him, responding eagerly. For the past 24 hours they had enjoy simple, innocent kisses, but this kiss had more intensity behind it.

Soon she felt her back being pressed against the doorframe as their lips parted, allowing their breaths to mingle with the others which sent chills up her spine.

Pulling back, he chuckled, "I need to stop this or else I'm going to find it _very _hard not to." He lightly kissed her pursed lips. "You're intoxicating."

"You're one to talk," she said accusingly. "You make it very hard to resist you."

"The feeling is definitely mutual," he threw back, stepping away. "It's late. We both need our sleep."

She nodded, "So, Trinity asked me if I wanted to get pampered in the morning while you take Jon to the airport and go do your interviews."

"You should," he told her. "I'll come by about two o'clock for our date."

"Sounds good," she answered, smiling. "Good night."

He returned the smile, "Night." He turned and headed toward the elevators.

Spinning around, she entered her room with an extra bounce in her step and got ready for bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for the delay in updating. I just hit a major writer's block and I'm super busy with my job. Writing just takes a backseat sometimes. Anyway, here it is the first date chapter. It's corny and gushy and I hope you like it. Thanks for all of the reviews!**

**A Hole in One**

The next afternoon, Skye found herself riding along in the passenger seat of rental car watching the scenery passing her by through the window. Glancing over, she smiled at Joe who concentrated on the road, trying to make sure that they didn't miss their exit.

"So," she spoke up. "I don't even get one little hint?"

A smile tugged at his lips and he said, "I already gave you a hint."

She snorted, "You told me to wear flats because we'd be standing for most of the time, but that doesn't exactly qualify as a hint! It's more of a heads-up. I mean _come on_ give me at least something better than that."

He chuckled, "You don't do well with surprises do you," he asked, amused.

Crossing her arms, she frowned playfully, "I'm more of an upfront type, I guess. I don't like the unexpected unless it's in the ring."

Shaking his head, he reached over and unwound her arms, so that he could grab her hand. Lacing their fingers, he rested their joined hands onto the middle console. "It'll be fun," he told her. "Is that good enough for you?"

"You seem _awfully_ confident in yourself," she remarked in amusement.

"Well, you said that you were a simple girl," he stated with a shrug. "So, where we're going should be entertaining..." His voice trailed off and he glanced at her in uncertainty. "It's nothing fancy. I hope that's okay for our first date."

Her hand squeezed his. "I don't like fancy," she answered matter-of-factly. "I'm sure whatever you have planned will be exciting and very enjoyable."

This seemed to relax him and he nodded, "We should be there shortly."

She nodded and glanced back out the window. She remarked pointedly, "Still haven't given me a decent enough hint."

"I think you can manage the suspense for a few more minutes," he assured, flashing a grin at her.

"Fine," she sighed, dramatically for effect.

Within five minutes, they were off the interstate and heading down a busy street to their destination. When Joe finally pulled the vehicle into the parking lot, she let out a chuckle.

"Miniature golf," she questioned, glancing out the windshield.

"Yeah," he answered unsurely. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," she said immediately easing his doubts. "You just _would_ pick something that I'm incredibly terrible at. I mean how many times have I told you how freaking awesome I am at _bowling_."

As he pulled into an available parking spot, he shook his head, "You must have told me a million times how much you rock at bowling, but perhaps I wanted to have the upper hand on this date."

"In other words, you didn't want to get beat by a _woman_," she clarified with a smirk.

He pondered her claim for a moment then nodded, "Basically."

She snorted.

Minutes later, they were walking toward the first hole with their clubs, golf balls, and small score sheet and miniature pencil in hand.

He motioned her forward, "Ladies first."

Glaring playfully at him, she walked over and crouched slightly to place her ball down. Straightening, she readied herself by tightly gripping her club and taking aim. Swinging the club back, she brought it forward and let it connect with the ball.

"Shit," she let out as she sent the ball _flying _rather than rolling up the turf and nearly taking out another player at another hole. "Sorry," she called out as Joe chuckled then went to retrieve the ball.

When he returned, he advised, "A little _less_ force. This isn't the PGA."

"I hate you," she muttered, swiping the ball from him and trying again. She was able to at least keep the ball at their hole, but took nearly eight attempts to finally knock it into the hole.

She watched in annoyance as it only took Joe two putts to get his ball into the hole.

He offered to help her at the next hole, but she refused and it wasn't till they were at Hole #4 and she had sent her ball into the small make-shift pond before she finally turned to him, pouting.

"Okay, oh-wise-one, please help me," she requested when he returned after fishing out her ball with a net.

Laughing, he placed her ball down on the small black mat and motioned her over. "You're overthinking it. Do you do this in the ring?"

"Never," she answered simply. "I'm very sure of myself in the ring, thank you very much."

He smirked, "I bet you are." He placed a hand on her hip, turning her so that he was standing behind her.

She sucked in a breath as she felt his body move behind her. His arms wrapped around and proceeded to correct her grip on the putter.

"You're grip is too tight," he pointed out then instructed. "Try loosening your hands."

"Okay," she said, releasing her breath and trying to concentrate on anything, but the feeling of his large presence standing so closely.

Next, she felt his hands on her hips and he turned her slightly then tapped her outer thigh. "Open your stance a bit." When her feet were apart more, he commented, "Good." He slid his hand to her back. "Now bend your back slightly." She does so. "Okay, you have the stance. I'm going to help you with your swing."

He closed the distance behind her and reached around to place his hands over hers. His chin rested on her left shoulder and his warm breath ticked her ear.

"I want you to concentrate on hitting that bumper to the left of that plant in the middle. Do you see where I'm talking about," he asked her.

It was a simple task. All she had to do was find the place he was talking about, but she found it rather _hard_ to focus on anything but his muscular arms wrapped her and his hot breath against her face. Her knees were starting to grow weak.

"Skye," he questioned when she doesn't respond.

She cleared her throat, "Uh yeah. I see it." _God, could my voice shake anymore?_

"Am I making you nervous," he asked, lowly.

"Nope, I'm completely _focused_," she argued, not daring to give him the satisfaction of knowing what his body being this close to hers was doing to her. "My eyes are zeroed in, so what's next?"

"Well if you hit that spot just right, your ball will bounce off and hit that corner sending it toward the hole."

"In theory," she muttered with a soft snort. "In actuality it's probably going to get slowed by that small incline and roll back into that sand pit on the right."

"That's not going to happen because we're going to hit the ball just right and it's going to do what I said it's going to do," he clarified, placing a kiss to her cheekbone then added, "I promise."

"So, you're some kind of miniature golf guru?"

"Call me anything you want, baby girl, but I bet you that I can get you past those obstacles with no problem whatsoever," he threw back at her good-naturedly.

"Hmm, your confidence is _very_ sexy," she commented as she leaned back into his arms, enjoying their warmth.

"Does it make certain thing happen to a certain article of clothing," he inquired wickedly then chuckled when she elbowed him.

"You _promised _to never bring that up again," she huffed. In her mind that confidence of his _certainly_ did make a certain article of clothing to seemingly _melt._ She refused to give him that satisfaction though.

"My apologies," he replied lowly as her cheeks tingled. "Now back at the task at hand – keep your eyes on that spot. You got it?" With a sigh, she nodded. "Okay, now glance down at your ball and we're going to bring back your putter..." He guided her putter back slightly then helped her swing it forward, connecting with her ball.

Her eyes watched as it rolled forward, hitting the spot he had indicated then bounced toward the corner bumper. The ball headed for the hole, but then slowly came to a stop just a few inches from its target.

She bounced up and down, excitedly turning to face him. "Did you see that? That's the closest I have ever been!"

He grinned, "See? It's not so difficult. You just need to know where to hit it and how hard."

She skipped over to the hole to lightly putt her ball into the hole then she pointed her putter at him in challenge, "Game on now, Anoa'i."

"You do realize that I'm kicking your ass already, right," he pointed out as he pulled out the score card and waving at her pointedly before marking down her score.

"I'm making my comeback," she assured him, confidently.

"I'm sure in your little world that's going to be possible," he teased, shaking his head.

"Hey, this is just the fourth hole," she threw back. "Fourteen more to go, Joe, and you've just gave me the extra boost and desire to beat that ass." When she returned to his side, she smiled charmingly at him. "No pressure."

"Here I thought that we were just going to have a _friendly_ game of putt-putt," he commented, shaking his head. "I don't know if I like this side of you."

"It is part of the package, big guy," she stated with a short shrug, but gave him a teasing look. "Now, take your shot so I can study my opponent's form." _Or in other words check out your fine ass._ With a smirk, she motioned for him to step up and ready his shot.

"Game on, Brooks," Joe declared. "I was going to go easy on you, but you've asked for it."

"Ooh," she mocked. "I'm _so_ scared."

When he walked over to place his ball down, she cocked her head to the side to admire his backside. "Stop checking out my ass," he spoke up, startling her. He straightened and flashed a huge grin her way.

She gave him an innocent look, "I wasn't doing anything of the sort. I would never do anything so..."

He interrupted her, "I've glanced at yours on more than one occasion – if that makes you feel better."

"You're a _guy_. It's kind of what you do," she pointed out with a soft chuckle.

He snorted, "Oh, so...women don't check out guy's asses?"

"Hmm," she stated, pondering. "_Maybe_...if said guy has an ass worthy of checking out."

Joe found himself grinning wider at that if it were even possible to do so. "Interesting," he said simply.

"Can we get back to our game," she asked, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed for openly checking him out. "I think we've already established how hot you are, so can we please?"

Instead of doing as she asked, he took a few steps toward her and cupped her face, leaning down slightly to press his lips against hers. When he pulled back she couldn't help but stare at him in a daze as he whispered, "I like it when you check me out. I like it even more when you get all flustered about it."

"This _really_ isn't a conversation I thought I would be having on our first date," she replied honestly.

"In our situation," he began. "This probably wouldn't be our first date. We know more about each other than most would even have time to know on a first date."

She smiled, "When you put it that way...then _yes_ I was checking out your ass. You have a very nice one."

He blinked and felt himself glancing downward, his cheeks reddening.

She giggled, "Now who is getting all flustered? The color red looks good on you, Joe."

Shaking his head, he walked back over make his shot, "If this is your way of getting into my head so my game will be altered – nice try."

"I wasn't, but if by chance if it was working than I wouldn't say that it wasn't a good game tactic," she commented, smiling brightly at him. "By all means, show me how you're going to beat me."

"Watch and learn, Miss Brooks," he stated strongly as he readied his shot.

When he sent his ball rolling, she watched as its momentum was slowed by the small incline and slowly rolled into the sand trap.

"Damn it," she heard him mumble.

She bit back a grin. "Too bad I wasn't able to get into your head or else you'd really show me."

He glared playfully back at her. "Hush," he ordered before walking over to finish his turn.

* * *

A half hour later, the two were heading for the very last hole. Skye had an extra bounce in her step while Joe was lagging behind staring at the score sheet.

"I can't believe this," he commented with a soft chuckle. "You are just three strokes behind me." He glanced at her in amazement. "How the hell did you pick up this game so fast?"

Spinning around, she smiled, "Pure determination." Then she shrugged, "Or dumb luck...whichever. I still haven't gotten a hole in one yet unlike you."

"Well, we still one more hole, so maybe it will happen for you."

Glancing at the spinning wind mill, the most challenging part of the hole, she frowned. "Doubtful."

Smiling encouragingly, he told her, "You've got this. Take your time and wait for the right moment."

Nodding, she walked up to the hole and placed her ball down. Her eyes took in the different obstacles – the incline, the sandpits, and the small pond to the right along with the spinning windmill were definitely going to be hard.

"Remember," Joe's voice spoke up from his place at the other end of the hole where he had just finished taking the yellow flag from the whole. "Don't over analyze it. It's all about timing."

With a sigh, she took in his words and lined up her shot. She swung her putter with just the right force and sent her ball rolling up the small incline. She watched as it bypassed the sand pits and stayed on course toward the windmill. As the blades of the mechanism spun, she held her breath hoping that her ball would not be blocked.

When the pink ball successfully passed under the windmill, she quickly walked over to the other side to join Joe as she watched it roll down toward the hole. "Come on," she softly coaxed. The ball bounced off the opposite wall from the hole then slowly headed backward circling the rim before dropping it.

She squealed, "It went in!" She jumped into his waiting arms and he hugged her body to his.

"Congrats on your very first hole-in-one," he praised.

"Thank you," she beamed. "So, in order for you to win you will need to make this shot in three shots or less."

With an amused look, he commented, "Yeah, I realize that."

"I'm not annoying you, am I," she asked as she plucked her ball from the hole.

"Surprisingly you are not," he responded, winking at her. "I like a competitive woman who can put me in my place." He walked back to the start of the whole with his ball and putter.

She watched as he got his shot ready from her place at the other end of the hole. He managed to clear the windmill on his first swing, but unlike Skye's shot, his ball stopped nearly two feet from the hole.

His next attempt was unsuccessful by inches. Now it was his third and final swing. His ball wasn't too far from the hole and she knew he would easily be able to make shot.

Even though she knew that, she was still very happy with how the date was going so far. This had been a really fun afternoon, so losing to the large Samoan wasn't that hard to endure.

"You got this, Anoa'i," she cheered.

His head lifted and glanced her way, "You're rooting for me to win?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Sure, why not? I'm having fun, so it's okay if I don't win."

That made him smile, seeing that she was having fun.

"So, if I make this shot you won't be upset," he questioned curiously.

"Nope," she answered convincingly. "I'm not a sore loser, Joe, I promise."

Nodding, he returned his attention to his golf ball. He slowly brought back his putter and then swung it forward to lightly tap against the ball sending it toward its target. However, he had used a bit too much force which caused the ball to bypass the hole and bounce against the wall and stop several inches away.

Her jaw dropped. That was an _easy_ shot and one that he could have made in with no problems whatsoever which only meant one thing.

Joe swiped up his golf ball from the green turf and approached her, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess that means you win."

"No," she corrected. "That means you _let_ me win. You missed on purpose!"

He furrowed his brow. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you want to make sure that I'm having a good time and I already said that I was, so you didn't have to do that."

"It's done," he said dismissively. "Now, as the winner, I think you should decide what we do next."

"Pity-winner, you mean," she laughed, shoving him playfully. "I demand a rematch in the future."

He grinned, "Sure thing. Now, what do you want to do next?"

Glancing toward the building that they entered through and paid for mini-golf game, she remembered passing by an arcade. Smiling, she turned back to him, "How about we go and play some arcade games? I bet I get _own_ you at game of air hockey." When she realized that her competitive side was showing again, she added sheepishly, "A friendly game of course."

He let out a laugh, "Let's do it."

* * *

After spending nearly an hour playing nearly every game in the arcade, Joe turned to Skye after beating her at a game of basketball. "You getting hungry," he asked her.

"Starving," she responded, reaching for the small stuffed turtle that he had won for her that she had placed on a nearby table.

"What do you feel like?"

"Why don't we just eat something here," she suggested, motioning at the at the small concession stand nearby. "They have chili dogs. Do you know how long it's been since I've had a chili dog?"

"Are you sure," he questioned, digging his hands in front pockets of his shorts. "I can take you some place nicer."

"Absolutely," she assured, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the place in question. "After we eat, I challenge you to a game of laser tag because I'm going to need to burn off all the calories that I'm about to ingest."

"Sounds fun," he remarked.

* * *

After Joe pretty much _owned_ her at laser tag, the two left the establishment and headed for a nearby frozen yogurt place to enjoy a frozen treat before their date had to come to an unfortunate end when her flight time drew closer.

At the airport, he watched as she checked in her bag and glance back at him with a sad smile. He returned it, trying to keep his from bumming her out more. After getting the directions to her gate, she walked back over to him with her carryon draped over shoulder.

"So," she spoke up. "We have a bit of time to kill till my flight is called. How about I buy us some coffees and we find a place quiet to sit?"

"Sounds good," he responded, draping an arm around her neck and leading her toward the same Starbucks that they had stopped at just days before.

As they sat at a tall table just outside the small coffee place, neither spoke until he finally sighed. "So, this sucks."

She chuckled lightly. "Yeah it _really_ does." Her eyes met his. "I kind of didn't want all this to end so quickly."

He nodded, "I hear you."

"Are we fooling ourselves," she asked, frowning. When he raised a questioning brow, she sighed. "I mean we had to _schedule_ our first date. In a normal relationship, we probably would have already established whether or not we would consider ourselves a couple."

"We can make it work," he assured her.

"Long distance relationships rarely work out," she pointed out then groaned when she realized that she had stated that they were in a relationship. Neither had even discussed that yet. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah I do," he answered, nodding. "Look, it's not ideal nor is it something that I really want, but it's reality. We are both living our dreams. However, those dreams require us to be away from important people in our lives..." He swallowed, realizing he wasn't just speaking about Skye when he said this. Clearing his throat, he went on. "It sucks and it's going to be hard, but one thing that I am very certain of is the fact that I know that _this_," he motioned to each of them before continuing, "is worth it."

"You might find that I'm not worth it," she pointed out, quietly.

"Why is that," he asked, studying her with his eyes.

"Because I never am," she replied, shrugging. "I know we haven't talked much about our past relationships, but needless to say guys usually get bored with me and find companionship with other women – and yes I meant _women_." Swirling her straw around in her frozen coffee, she sighed. "Look, I'm not looking for pity. I've put myself out there _a lot_ only to find myself heartbroken in the end. I mean it all starts off the same – too good to be true then the ball drops and I'm left wondering why the hell I even bother sometimes."

"Because you deserve to be happy," he pointed out, reaching over and taking the hand which was resting on the table into his own. "I've had my fair share of failed relationships, the most recent one being the toughest, but I'm not going to give up on happiness. You shouldn't either. No matter what those bastards did to make you feel this way. Yeah, we may not get to see each other every day or do the normal couple thing, but all I know is that I can't stop thinking about you nor do I want let this whole distance thing stop something I know is making me happier than I've been in a long time."

He managed to get a small smile out of her with that statement. "I'm whining," she replied pitifully. "I _don't_ whine."

He traced the back of her hand with his thumb as he smiled, "You're concerned. I am too. I will promise you something though – I am not like those guys. I've been cheated on. I will _never _betray you like that."

She nodded in response, pondering something. "So, what are we," she questioned, coyly. "Am I your girl?" She tilted her head at him, batting her eyes causing him to chuckle.

"I think it's safe to say that you are most definitely _my_ girl."

Biting her bottom lip, she tried not to let her excitement show too much. However, she was sure that he could hear the thumping of her heart in her chest. "Do you really want to take this on?"

"Damn right I do," he assured, firmly. "No more doubts about us, okay? We won't let this long distance thing beat us."

Glancing down at her watch, she sighed, "It's that time."

Nodding, he disposed of their drinks while she grabbed her purse and carryon. He pulled her to his side and she wrapped her arms around his waist as they headed for the terminal.

When her flight was called, she released her hold on him and went around to stand in front of him.

"Have a good flight," he told her, placing a kiss to her forehead.

With a smile, she leaned up to press her lips against his and they shared a deep kiss before she pulled back. "It's really going to be hard leaving you knowing that I'm going to miss doing _that._"

"I understand the feeling," he remarked, dipping his head back down for another kiss. His arms wrapped around her, pressing her more into him as this kiss was more intoxicating.

When the broke apart again, she pulled out of his hold, "No more or I'll miss my flight."

He chuckled, "Okay. Before you go," he began as he reached into his pocket to pull something out. "I figured that you'd want something to remember our first date."

"I doubt I'd ever forget it," she pointed out, smiling. Her eyes focused on his closed hand. "But what do you have for me?" When he opened his hand, she gasped seeing a pink neon golf ball that had the logo of the putt-putt place they had played at. "You _stole_ my golf ball? You rebel you," she teased.

He laughed, "Yeah, I'm living on the wild side. I wanted you to have your first golf ball from your first hole-in-one. I even dated the other side." He rotated the ball to show her the bolded written **11-12-11** on the back.

Touched by the simple gesture, she took the ball from him and stared up at him. "I love it. I'll cherish it always." Realizing that she really needed to board her plane, she quickly kissed him again, "I will call you once I land."

He nodded, "I had fun."

"Me too," she agreed. "Let's plan for our next visit, okay?" He nodded. "Bye."

"Bye," he replied, watching her turn and walk to the ticket lady and hand her ticket.

When she walked through the door and disappeared, he sighed and turned to walk away. Along his way to the exit, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it, glancing at the screen seeing the name of the _other_ girl in his life. Smiling, he put the phone to his ear, "Hey, baby." He nodded. "Yeah, I miss you, too."


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry for the delays in updates. This chapter just kind of happened. I felt like Punk was absent a lot in the past few updates and this chapter sort of just came about randomly. Also, there is some insight on Skye's past relationships in this as well. Hopefully, all of you enjoy this. Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Brotherly Advice**

_November 18__th__, 2011 Chicago, Illinois_

"Ugh," Skye huffed as she plopped down beside her brother on the couch in their apartment just after returning from her workout at a nearby gym just down the street.

"What's the matter," Phil asked, not taking his eyes away from the Blackhawk/Flames game on the television in front of him.

"I haven't heard anything from Joe all day," she answered, staring at the cellphone in her hand. "Working out didn't help at all."

"I'm sure he's just busy," Phil reasoned.

"Probably," she sighed as her eyes drifted to the television screen and tried to settle into the game going on, but she couldn't be any _less _interested.

When the game went to commercial, Phil glanced her way and had to laugh at her sad expression. "Could you be more pathetic right now?"

She scowled and threw a small pillow at him, "Shut up!"

"Aw," he teased. "You _really_ like this guy. You can't even go a day without talking to him – how sickeningly adorable."

She scoffed, "I can go a day without talking to him..."

"Hmm-hmm," Phil snorted, disbelievingly. "You've been like a giddy little school girl since you last visited him."

"So," she muttered. "I had a great time, sue me." She released a long breath. "I just want him to call, so I can hear his voice and just continue to _miss_ the hell out of him." After hearing herself, she groaned, "I _do_ sound pathetic!"

"If I didn't know better, Gracie, I'd say that you might be falling..."

"Don't," she cut him off in warning. "Even say that word. I can't even _think_ about letting myself fall for him this early on. I just really like spending time with him..." She smiled fondly. "And _kissing_ him."

She rolled her eyes when her brother made gagging noises beside her. "Please refrain from elaborating on the man's kissing skills, please!"

Shaking her head, she climbed to her feet, "Fine. I'll keep it to myself. I'm going to go shower."

"Please do," Phil requested, teasingly. "I don't want your smell to embed itself into the couch. We're fresh out of Febreeze – OW!" He grabbed at his shin which had just been kicked.

She smiled brightly, "You deserved it, Phillip."

"Don't call me that," he complained with a scowl.

"Well, stop calling me, Gracie," she shot back. "Why must you be the _only_ one that has to call me by my first name?"

He smirked, "Because it bugs the hell out of you, that's why. Now, seriously go shower. You stink!"

"Fuck you," she growled, heading for the hallway.

Shaking his head in amusement, he leaned back and returned his attention to the game on the TV in front of him. As he watched in disappointment as his Blackhawks continued to trail behind, he heard a soft ringing coming from the other end of the couch.

He turned his head in that direction and found his sister's cellphone sitting on the arm of the couch. He turned to look over the back of the couch before reaching over and snatching it up.

_Joe calling_ flashed across the screen. He went to call out to his sister, but he thought better of it and stood up with the phone in hand. He swiped his thumb across the screen and pressed it to his ear as he crossed the living room, stepping outside onto the balcony for some privacy.

"Hello?"

"Uh..." Obviously, Joe hadn't expected a guy to answer. "Who the hell is this?"

With a soft chuckle, Phil answered, "Calm you tits, Joe, its Phil." The sigh of relief on the other end did not go unnoticed. "She's in the shower right now."

"Okay, will you tell her I called," the other man asked.

"Sure thing, but first, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay," Joe answered, unsurely. "What's up?"

"What are you doing this Sunday," Phil questioned.

"Uh nothing that I'm aware of," he responded back with a slight hesitation which caused Phil's eyebrow to rise in question. "Why are you asking?"

"I ask because Survivor Serious is happening this weekend and Skye and I are both on the card to compete and I'm sure my sister would love it if were able to fly out to New York and attend. I'll take care of everything."

"Wow, that – that would be awesome, man. Thanks."

"Good, well, let's keep this our little secret for now. I'll pick you up on Sunday."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Then its set," Phil confirmed. "The ride to the arena will give me the opportunity to have that _brotherly_ talk that I have yet to have with you. So, be prepared to be doing a lot of listening."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Joe commented with a snort.

* * *

On Sunday, Joe found himself un-boarding his flight with a sense of dread. Yeah he was excited to be going to WWE Pay-Per-View, but he wasn't thrilled to being picked up by Skye's older brother. With just his carryon as his luggage, he glanced around the busy airport looking for the tattooed man.

He found him slumped in an airport seat, trying to look inconspicuous in just jeans and a t-shirt with a Cubs hat shielding his face.

Clearing his throat, he headed his way. Punk glanced upward and nodded at him in greeting as he hopped to his feet.

"Good flight?"

Joe shrugged a shoulder, "It was alright. Thanks for arranging all of this."

"Anything to make my sister happy," Punk answered after the two shook hands. "Come on. Let's get go surprise my sister."

Fifteen minutes later, the two were situated into the rental SUV with Punk behind the wheel.

"Look," Punk began finally as he glanced his way. "You seem like a good guy so I hope that I don't offend you too much with what I have to say."

"Okay," Joe replied as he looked over at the Chicagoan, curiously.

"I know that I'm going to sound like such a _dad_ right now, but what are your intentions with my sister?"

"My intentions," Joe repeated with a furrowed brow.

"Are you serious about her or are you using her to try and get onto the main roster?"

Joe's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the man's accusation. "Excuse me," he asked, edgily. "Where the hell do you get off by asking me that?"

"Do you have any sisters," Punk asked simply, ignoring the other man's glare.

"Yeah, three older ones," Joe answered still miffed.

"Then you can understand my need to want to _protect_ my sister then, right?" He held up his left hand and rotated it so that Joe could see the cursive-written tattoo on the underside of his wrist that read - _My sister's protector - _upon it. "From the moment that Skye was born, I've tried my hardest to keep her from getting hurt." He put his hand back on the wheel and sighed. "My sister has a big heart. She always has. That's one thing I love most about her because she an optimist while I'm as pessimistic as it comes."

"It's a quality that I like about her, too," Joe admitted, relaxing a bit.

"As her brother, I feel like it's my job to make sure that you're intentions with her are genuine."

"I get that," Joe replied, nodding slightly. "My intentions with Skye, I assure you, are very genuine. I have no ulterior motives."

"Good to know," Punk answered simply. "Look, I don't know how much Skye has told you about a few of her past relationships, but I don't want to see my sister getting hurt again. Nor do I want to have to _attempt_ to kick your ass if you break her heart. Considering the fact that I had forgotten how fucking huge you were I find that it may be a bit more difficult than I had originally thought."

Joe snorted, "No worries. I mean yeah she hasn't divulged too much about those relationships, but I have managed to gather that they did a number on her."

"That they did," Punk agreed, bitterly. "She fell too hard, and too fast with each of them and she ended up getting burned. Orton was the worst and if I could get away with murder – he'd be the first on my list." Shaking his head, he let out a tense sigh. "The men that followed weren't any better, but she managed to pick herself back up." He glanced over at the Samoan curiously. "Has she talked about our family?"

Joe gave him a confused look, "What about your family? She's only said good things about your parents."

"Then she hasn't," Punk concluded with a small smile. "Chase and Carol are not our parents – they sort of adopted us. They're my best friend's parents. No relation."

"She didn't mention that part," Joe stated quietly, baffled.

"I'm sure she's planning to," Punk told him, defending his sister's need to keep that from Joe. "She's probably trying to find a way to talk about them. It's not easy for her to, so give her a bit of time. Anyway, she's gone through a lot in her life with our family and with these assholes she dated, so I want to make it perfectly clear that you won't hurt her."

"I like your sister. I don't exactly know what the future hold, but I'll give you my word that I'll try my hardest not to hurt her," he vowed.

Punk's hazel eyes searched the brown ones of the man sitting beside him. "Okay," the older of the two replied. "I want to believe you, so time will tell. Be good to her. I want her to be happy."

"As do I," Joe remarked, truthfully. There was a brief silence before Joe smirked. "So, how close were you to ending Orton's life?"

Punk chuckled loudly, "I may not have been close to killing the guy, but during our matches last year, I definitely made sure that my punches made contact. Plus, Skye made me promise not to hurt the guy."

"Why would she make you promise that," Joe asked in amazement.

"Again, that's for her to tell you," Punk answered, shaking his head. "You will also learn that she is very forgiving as well."

"Clearly."

* * *

Meanwhile back at Madison Square Garden arena, Skye was sitting in catering poking at her lunch as her eyes were zeroed in on a sight that was very unpleasant for her to be witnessing.

"What's with the face," Brie asked as she and Bryan Danielson - aka Daniel Bryan - walked up with their own plates and took a seat at her table.

"Just watching the _Orton's_," she muttered, bitterly as Brie glanced their way.

Across the room sat Randy Orton with his wife, Samantha, and their young daughter Alanna looking like the _perfect _little family which truthfully made Skye want to vomit.

"Oh," Brie commented with a sympathetic smile. "You have Joe now, remember?"

"Well, yeah, I know, but I'd _love_ to flaunt my relationship around and rub _his_ nose in it every once in a while. His stupid self and his annoyingly nice _wife _and their incredibly _adorable_ daughter – god, they suck."

"Good to know that you aren't holding any grudges," Bryan commented with deep chuckle earning an elbow from his girlfriend.

Luckily she didn't have to witness the happy family _too _long and they were all on their merry way after finishing their lunch.

"Maybe you should call Joe," Brie suggested when Skye released a deep sigh. "Hearing his voice before tonight might make you feel better."

After the brunette's comment, Skye's phone began ringing and she laughed when she saw that it was Joe. Smiling, she pressed the phone to ear, "Perfect timing."

"How so," he asked curiously.

"I was just thinking about you."

He chuckled, "Oh really?"

"Yep," she answered with a small laugh. "I wish you were here right now."

"How much do you wish that," he asked, somewhat slyly.

"Why would you ask me that? It's not like you can just magically teleport and suddenly..." Her words were cut off when her eyes focused on the entryway of the room where she saw a familiar figure enter. Her eyes widened as they locked in on a smiling Joe and she jumped to her feet, letting her phone fall to the table.

She rushed across the room, passing the all the onlookers, and jumping into his awaiting arms. He caught her with a loud chuckle as her legs locked firmly around his waist while her arms wrapped around his neck.

After pressing an excited kiss to his lips, she questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"Your brother flew me out. He figured you could use the extra support for your match against Beth and Eve tonight, so here I am. I must say," he remarked, still supporting her. "I kind of like this kind of greeting. It made the whole ride over with your brother worth it."

With a knowing look, she asked, "He gave you the talk, huh?"

"Oh yeah," he answered, nodding.

"And it didn't scare you away," she wondered, grinning.

"Not at all, baby girl," he promised, kissing her lightly.

"Get it girl!" a voice called out.

Pulling back, Skye rolled her eyes recognizing the voice of Nikki. She unhooked her legs and let her feet touch the floor. "Come on, let me introduce you to a few people."

* * *

A few hours later, the two had been separated when Skye had to go off and do a few interviews and then get ready for the PPV. She strolled around in the back looking for Joe when she ran into the _last _person that she wanted to run into.

"Whoa there," Randy laughed, steadying her. "Didn't see you there."

"Sorry," she muttered, trying to move past him.

"I saw you watching Sam and I earlier," he commented, gently.

"I wasn't watching," she corrected defiantly.

"Look, I get that it's hard for you to witness us together and I'm not trying to rub it in..."

Her brow rose, "Are you trying to imply that I'm _envious_? Randy, I'm over it."

"Are you sure? I thought we got our closure years ago," he went on. "Skye, I've moved on and I think you should too."

"I _have_," she shot back.

"Since when have you been seeing anybody," he asked, incredulously.

"Since when has it been any of your business," she countered, sharply. "Look, I may have forgiven you for being a complete ass to me when we were together, but you're stepping into _my_ private life and you need watch yourself."

"Hey, calm down," Randy stated firmly.

"Don't tell me what to do," she spat.

"Everything okay, babe," Joe's questioned, appearing behind Randy.

The two men eyed each other before Joe walked over to drape an arm around Skye.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your _friend_, Skye," Randy asked, studying Joe closely.

"I'm Joe," Joe introduced with a half-nod. "Her _boyfriend_, so if you don't mind...I'd like to spend a little bit more time with my girl before she has to get ready for tonight."

"Absolutely," Randy stated, holding his hands up. "Good luck tonight, Skye." The Apex Predator turned and walked away.

"You okay," Joe asked as he pulled her to his chest.

"Yes, I'm fine. You'd think after six years that I'd be _used_ to running into him at work." Shaking her head, she smiled. "Where were you?"

"Just visiting Dewayne for a bit," he answered.

She groaned, "Ugh, I keep forgetting you're related to the Rock – your only flaw." She gave him a quick wink to let him know that she was only kidding. "So, how is Rocky doing? He doesn't talk to us _common_ folk now that he's this big shot movie star," she told him, jokingly.

He chuckled, "He's fine. It was good catching up with him. It's been a while. Oh, by the way, _never_ leave me alone with the Bella twins again." She giggled. "Thank god for Bryan. I might not have made it out of catering unscathed. Do they always talk that much?"

"You'll learn to love them," she laughed as she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Care to walk me to hair and makeup?"

"Sure thing, baby girl, but first let me check out your ring attire..."

He took a step back and let his eyes take in what she was wearing tonight in the ring. The outfit consisted of her trademark black tank that had the baby blue devil heart symbol across the chest. It was tied up in the back to show off her mid-drift. She wore black, distressed, super-slim jeans with wrestling boots with the same devil heart symbol on each boot. It wasn't anything flashy or flirty – it was just _her_. She wasn't about the glitz and glamour. She was about the competition and she was _lethal _in the ring.

"Do you like," she asked twirling around, allowing his eyes to catch sight how her ass looked in those tight jeans.

"Very much so," he assured, nodding his head and let his eyes move up and down her body once more.

"Are you checking me out," she questioned, slyly.

"No, I'm admiring my woman," he corrected, causing her to blush. "I'm a lucky man."

She playfully pushed at his chest, "Stop! You're embarrassing me."

"It's the truth," he insisted, grabbing her arms and pulling body flush against his. "Deal with it. I think you're hot and I'm not always going to be able to keep something like that to myself."

"Come with me," she requested, reaching for his hand and pulling him down the hallway.

"Where are we going," he asked, grinning. He had seen the look in her eyes. She obviously wanted to kiss him, but the hallways were field with WWE personnel and she wasn't huge on public displays of affection at least not the kind of affection that she wanted to be displayed.

"Somewhere more private," she told him simply as she weaved through different areas of the backstage before finally arriving where all the equipment boxes were being stored.

After squeezing through some black boxes and out of sight of some scurrying crewmembers trying to complete the final touches of the upcoming show, Skye turned around and leaned upward to capture Joe's lips which were already on the descent to meet hers.

His body pushed her against one of the many boxes and deepened the kiss while his strong arms wrapped around her. Soon she felt herself being lifted to sit atop the box that she had been pushed against, their lips never parting. His large hands gripped her thighs, pulling her to the edge of the box so that his body could stand between her parted legs as their lips parted and his tongue pushed through into her hot mouth.

_God that tongue_, she mentally moaned before releasing a soft audible one as the feeling coursed through her body causing her hands to clutch onto his broad shoulders and her chest to press into his.

After a few minutes, they finally parted for a breather and she released a choked laugh, "Sorry about that. I sort of just lost myself there."

"No apologies needed, baby girl," he assured, chuckling. "It's been a long week for me too." He pressed his forehead against hers and licking his lips. "I could get used to that."

"Hmm, me too," she agreed, lightly kissing his lips. She pulled back and sighed. "I need to get to hair and makeup."

Nodding, he helped her down and cupped her face, kissing her softly upon the forehead. "I kind of like you the way that you are without the makeup and your hair slightly tussled due to our little make-out session."

Running her fingers through her sandy locks, she rolled her eyes at him. "Come on, Fabio." She pulled him away from their secluded spot.

* * *

_Hours later, Skyler Grace headed back up the ramp after losing the Triple Threat Lumberjill match with Beth and Eve. Glancing over shoulder, she watched saddened as Beth held up the Diva's title victoriously in the air after successfully performing the Glam Slam on Eve from the middle rope for the pin. _

_Skyler had been recovering from being sent through the ropes by Beth and into the Bella twins and Natalya's standing just outside the ring where she received a few kicks and jabs from the trio of heel divas before she finally crawled back into the ring. The ref had already slapped the mat for the three-count before Skyler could even attempt to stop the pin from happening. She watched dumbfounded as Beth's hand was raised and the ring announcer announced her as the winner of the match._

_With a scowl, her eyes zeroed in on Eve Torres who was pushing herself to her feet. The woman shouldn't have even been in this match in Skyler's eyes. She just weaseled her way in without even earning the spot and now she had gotten herself pinned by the champion causing Skyler to once again lose another opportunity of earning her title back from the woman who had taken it._

_Feeling the anger of the loss filling her body, she charged after the Latina and grabbed her by her dark locks, causing the woman to cry out. She kneed her in the cut before performing her finisher – the Skye-assault which consisted of Skyler pushing off Eve's back like a spring and bringing her leg down on the woman's neck sending her face first into the mat much like a curb stomp maneuver with a bit more flair._

_The roar of the crowd didn't make her feel any better about losing neither did the large smirk from the diva's champion which only angered her more. The ref pushed her toward the ropes, ordering her out of the ring while Kelly Kelly rushed in to check on her friend, Eve._

_From her place at the top of the ramp, Skyler shook her head and headed for the back._

* * *

When Skye walked backstage, she was quickly greeted by Joe and her brother. "Tough break, kid," Phil commented, patting her back.

"Yeah," Skye muttered, frustrated.

"You were awesome," Joe assured her, hugging her to him.

"Thanks," she muttered, feeling slightly better by his words.

"I mean it. I mean that diving plancha you did from the top turnbuckle and into the lumberjills was fantastic."

"Yeah," Nikki spoke up from where she was standing with her sister. "Even with being on the receiving end of that – it was pretty fantastic."

Skye rolled her eyes, "Well you shouldn't have interfered when I was readying myself for that missile kick."

"I was just doing my job," the other woman argued playfully.

"Come on," Skye beckoned Joe. "Let me go get cleaned up and we can watch the rest of the show in Phil's locker room."

"Uh don't you think you should _ask_ me before you take over my dressing room," her brother commented with a snort. "Don't think I don't know what you two are planning on doing in there."

"I was actually going to invite everyone in there," Skye argued, but then smirked. "Now that you've put that thought in my mind – it does sound rather tempting." She glanced over at the man whose hand she was gripping. "Care to go fornicate in my brother's locker room?"

"I didn't just hear that," Phil complained, plugging his ears while Joe laughed nervously.

"I think that I'll pass," Joe stated, kindly.

"Well can _we_," Nick spoke up, indicating himself and Nikki, "go fornicate in Punk's locker room?"

"Hell no," Phil bellowed while everyone laughed.

"Honestly, Nick," Nikki scolded.

"Don't act innocent," Brie stated pointing at her sister. "You _so_ would have."

Nikki shrugged in mock innocence and the group went their separate ways with Nick sticking around since his match was up next.

"You and your brother have a weird relationship," Joe remarked as he allowed her to lead him toward the locker rooms.

"I can't argue with that," she said chuckling. When they reached the diva's locker room, she turned to him. "I won't be long."

"Take your time," he told her.

With a quick kiss to his lips, she disappeared inside and he walked over to take a seat on a nearby box labeled in white letters _CABLES_. A door down the hall opened and a tall man stepped out dressed in wrestling trunks and turned his way.

When Joe caught sight of Randy Orton, he stared at the man as he approached obviously heading towards the gorilla area.

"Hey man," Randy greeted.

Joe just nodded wondering why the man was even addressing him.

"So, you and Skye, huh," Randy began with a small grin.

"Yep," Joe answered simply, his jaw clenching. _What is this guy's deal?_

"Just a word of advice, she's a great woman and all, but she tends to get a bit clingy rather fast..."

"No offense," Joe stated, preventing the man from continuing. "Why would I take advice from someone who was so stupid to let a great woman like her go?" When the man had the audacity to look baffled, he continued, "Look, maybe your focus needs to be less on the guy that Skye is dating and more on minding your own business."

Anger flared in Orton's eyes as he growled, "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Yeah," Joe chided, sliding off the box. "You seem awfully interested in Skye's private life which makes me wonder what your deal is. Last I checked, you were married and a father of one, so why the hell do you care who Skye dates?"

"I'm just trying to warn you..."

Joe interjected, "I _know_, Skye. I know the type of woman she is _now_. You apparently only know the woman you left broken hearted because you weren't man enough to treat her better."

Randy took a threatening step forward and sneered, "You son of a bitch..."

"Everything okay over here, gentleman," a voice asked to the side.

"Doesn't concern you, Rock," Randy hissed.

"Actually, Joe here is family, so technically it _does_, but I'm here to remind you about your match that's about to happen any minute now. So, if you're done prancing around like your shit don't stink then maybe you should head that way."

Randy shot a glare toward Dewayne before returning his gaze to Joe and smirked. "Just a warning, _kid_, you'll grow sick of her too. She really wasn't all that in the sack, so be prepared for disappointment there."

Joe shoved him roughly, "What the fuck did you say, you bastard?!"

"Joe, walk away," Dewayne barked, holding him back. "Orton, get the hell out of here."

"Just stating a fact," Randy boasted as he turned and came face-to-face with Phil who looked livid.

"I thought we were over this bullshit, Orton," Phil claimed before gripping him by his t-shirt.

Skye chose that moment to step out of the diva's locker room dressed in the clothes that she had been wearing earlier. Her eyes widened at the sight before her, "Phil, let him go!"

"If you don't slug him, I will," Joe vowed, trying to pry Dewayne's hands off of him.

"Skye," Dewayne grunted as he kept his cousin at bay. "You mind handling your brother? _This_ one is hard enough to keep back."

Sighing loudly, Skye charged over to push herself between her brother and her ex. "Phil, enough," she ordered, separating the two. Turning to Randy, she continued, "Leave and keep your mouth shut about our _past_." She snorted. "Yeah, I heard. Come to think of it, the whole diva division heard. You really are an asshole, Orton."

Shaking his head, the Viper turned on his heel and headed for the gorilla area leaving the two men in Skye's life fuming.

"Okay," Dewayne stated cautiously staring at his cousin. "You need to calm yourself, cousin."

"Yeah, for real he's not worth it," Skye scolded to her brother. "Why do you let him get to you like that?"

"I'm supposed to allow that prick to disrespect you like that," Phil questioned incredulously.

"I'm not saying that," Skye argued. She glanced over at Joe, who was now pacing. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Dude wanted to maim, Orton, not that I blame him," Dewayne explained, patting his younger cousin on the back.

"What is with you and defending my honor, Anoa'i," Skye wondered. "First Maddox and now Orton..."

"Whoa," Phil interrupted. "Who the hell is Maddox and what the fuck happened?"

Skye groaned, "Ease up. It was nothing."

"Nothing my ass," Joe grumbled. "Long story short, Maddox couldn't keep his hands to himself, so I introduced him to my fist. I'd really like to do the same with Orton that pompous bastard."

"Feeling is definitely mutual," Phil concurred, balling his hands into fists.

"Okay, fellas," Dewayne piped in. "Calm it down. Punk, you go chill out before your match with Del Rio."

"Yes, go," Skye chimed in, pushing her brother toward the direction of his locker room.

Phil's body relaxed and he nodded, "Yeah, I guess I should." He glanced at Joe and gave him an approving nod. "So, I approve of you a bit more now that you obviously share my mutual detest toward Orton."

Joe snorted, "Thanks, I think."

"Are you two finished with this endearing moment," Skye questioned in amusement. "I mean if you want Rocky and I can give you both some privacy."

"Bite me," Phil remarked before throwing a hand up in a short wave and walking away.

"So, is everything good here," Dewayne asked when it was the just the three of them. He was directing the question mostly to Joe.

"Sure," Joe answered softly. "Thanks, man."

"Hey, no problem, I mean I get it," He grinned over at Skye. "You're defending the lovely Skye's honor. I can't fault you for that."

"That sounded awfully like a compliment, Rocky," Skye commented with a grin.

"Don't let it go to your head," Dewayne warned good-naturedly. "You two enjoy the rest of the evening. Keep him out of trouble, Skye."

"I'm sure I can think of _something_ to occupy his time," Skye reasoned, flashing a flirty look Joe's way.

This seemed to change his behavior immediately which caused Dewayne to laugh. He bid them goodbye and headed on.

She smiled gently at him and held her hand out for him to take. "Let's go somewhere and talk."

* * *

After venturing around looking for a place in private, the two headed downstairs toward the basement.

"This is not creepy at all," she remarked, lightly. She took a seat on the steps and he followed suit.

"It's not so bad," he shrugged.

She studied him a moment. "What'd Randy say to you?"

"I thought you heard what he said."

"I heard the part where he was putting down my bedroom skills," she noted with bitter snort. "Just to clarify, he wasn't much to talk about either."

"I don't believe a single thing he said," Joe countered eyeing her with those dark eyes of his. "I would like to make up my own mind about your bedroom skills firsthand."

"Ugh I just can't with you," she complained. "You always say the right things. It's kind of getting annoying."

"I'll try and keep it at a minimum, sorry."

Shaking her head in amusement, she released a sigh. "I'm sorry he got you upset. I don't know what his deal is."

"I think he still has a thing for you," Joe pointed out.

"I don't see why. I mean his wife is actually nice and not some bimbo."

"I hate when you do that," he sighed in exasperation. When she raised a brow at him, he continued, "When you try to imply that you're not good enough. What did that bastard do to you?"

"It's more like what did _all_ of them do to me," she corrected miserably. "I don't exactly have the best track record with guys."

"Tell me," he coaxed gently.

"Not really much to tell. I guess I'll focus on the two that did the worse on me. I met Randy when I began wrestling in FCW. He came down to Tampa to train and we sort of just start talking. Well, he, uh, thought I had a lot of potential and pitch the idea to Vince that maybe I could be his valet just to get my name out there. So, we started seeing each on and off camera. I fell in love with him. A year into the relationship, he started acting weird and distant. I thought maybe it was stress." She released a bitter laugh. "It wasn't stress – he was _seeing_ which is putting it mildly, multiple women behind my back. Apparently, everyone knew but me."

Shaking her head, she continued, "I guess, I was pretty naïve. Our storyline relationship pretty much ended shortly after that when he decided to go heel. To make matters worse, he didn't like the idea that I was still employed by the same company as he was. So, he went around and tried to ruin my reputation around the ring saying that I wasn't ready to be on the main roster. I began thinking that myself after I wasn't getting matches, so I just gave up and went back to ROH where I felt more at home. Plus, Phil was there so..."

"That's when I met AJ. He was older than me. I fell hard for him too. And he just did the same thing they all do. He lost interest and started seeing someone else. Only this person ended up being the woman he eventually married and had children with." Frowning, she shrugged a shoulder. "I guess he didn't see me as the marrying type. Shortly after that I found out Randy had gotten engaged."

She felt his hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly. "I stop really trying to find someone after that. I mean yeah I've dated, but I just don't allow myself to fall for a guy because I'm afraid that it's just going to bite me in the ass in the end."

"Don't feel like you have to hold back the way that you feel when it comes to us," Joe told her gently. "We don't have to rush anything either. We can take it slowly."

She scoffed, "You're just going to get bored with that."

"You should have a bit more faith in me," he suggested, smiling at her. "I know I might seem like one to let his anger get the best of him, but that's only toward people who disrespect someone that means something to me. Look, I know what it's like to be cheated on, so I know that it's hard to give your heart to someone again, but I hope in time that you can with me."

She felt her eyes get misty. "I don't deserve you."

"Of course you do," he assured, wrapping his arm around her. "Don't let dickheads like Orton make you think that you don't deserve to be happy."

"What if you realize that I'm not what you want," she asked weakly.

"_If_ that were to happen, I'd be man enough to tell you."

"Promise?"

He placed a finger under her chin, lifting her head so that their eyes could meet. "I promise."

As she stared deeply into his eyes, she realized that he was different than all those other guys that had broken her heart. He was a good man. She finally smiled and nodded.

He returned the smile and dropped a kiss to her lips.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's another update. It's lengthy. I hope all of you are still enjoying this. I'm up for suggestions if any of you have any. Please take the time to review. I enjoy reading what you have to say. :)**

**You're a what?**

_November 29__th__, 2011_

"I can't believe you two haven't _banged_ yet."

At Nikki's statement, Skye rolled her eyes as she continued walking through the clothing racks in a small boutique in Columbia, South Carolina

"I mean the guy flies out to watch you compete at Survivor's Series and you guys didn't even come close to doing it?"

"Nicole, really, it's none of your business," Brie stated disapprovingly.

"Uh yeah it is when my friend hasn't gotten any in..." Her brow rose, looking pointedly at _said_ friend.

"A year," Skye supplied, meekly.

"A _fucking_ year," Nikki blurted out with a shocked look.

Eyes widened in alarm, Skye quickly glanced around the small store and found strangers looking their way. "_Nikki_!"

"Seriously, Nicole," Brie commented with a slight chuckle. "I think the whole town heard you."

"Well, it's _unbelievable_. A hot piece of ass like hers should be getting some every opportunity she gets especially with that fine specimen that she's dating."

Brie shook her head and continued browsing while Skye sighed. "Believe me," she began. "I _want _to. I just don't want to rush things."

"You've known the guy over a month," Nikki pointed out as she held a shirt up to her chest and glanced at herself in a nearby mirror.

"Yeah, but I've only been in the same place as him a total of five days if that. Our situation is different."

"All more the reason to jump his bones every opportunity that you get," Nikki concluded, putting the garment back with a disgusted look. "You've already established yourselves as a couple and it's very evident the guy is hot for you so just seal the deal already."

"Like I said, I'm not opposed to it."

"Then what's the problem," Brie asked, walking back over with a few things in her hand to try on.

"I don't know if I'm _ready _to go there with him yet. I mean sex usually means that the relationship is reaching a point that I don't know if I'm quite ready for."

"You mean commitment," Brie questioned, gently.

Skye shrugged a shoulder, "Look, I know it seems stupid, but with my track record with falling hard and fast with guys I really don't want to scare this one off. Yes, we're a couple, but what if I disappoint him when we finally do the deed?"

"I think you're being ridiculous," Nikki stated, honestly. Skye scoffed and shook her head. "Sweetie, those guys are not worth a second thought, okay? You _deserve_ better than them." With a smile, she placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "You got a great guy. He's completely _smitten_ by you. Don't ruin a good thing because you're scared of letting him in too soon."

"Wow," Brie remarked as she stared at her twin in awe. "That was some pretty damn good advice."

Nikki gave her a look, "Don't look _so_ surprised." Turning back to the non-Bella, Nikki continued, "I say that you let your heart just go with it. Stop letting your head get in the way. Joe's not going anywhere."

"How can you possibly _know_ that," Skye asked with a soft chuckle.

Nikki sighed, "Fine, I don't, but I swear if you don't jump that guy I will lose all the respect that I have ever had for you – just saying. I would have hopped on that man the very moment that Samoan ass presented himself."

"Lord, if Nick could hear you now," Brie laughed. "Does Skye have competition or something?"

"_Obviously, _I meant that hypothetically," Nikki replied, rolling her eyes.

"So," Skye began slowly. "You don't think I'd be rushing things by sleeping with him so soon?"

"It's not that early," Brie argued simply. "The two of you have talked nearly every single day since you met. It's not like you met him last week. You know things about the other, personal things."

"Don't let what happened with those jerks stop you from being with Joe in that way," Nikki advised. "They cheated on you, Skye. None of that was your fault. Why do you keep making it out like you were to blame for it?"

"Because," Skye shot back, incredulously. "Obviously, there was something about me that turned them off and lured them into the arms of other women."

"There isn't," both twins exclaimed.

"How can you both be so sure," she questioned pitifully.

"Because we _know_ you," Brie pointed out, gently. "Don't feel so pressured into doing anything that you're not ready for."

"I think you're ready for that Samoan ass," Nikki reiterated causing Brie to shoot a warning glance her way. She sighed, "Okay, fine, I say you just fly out to Pensacola and see where the weekend takes you. In fact, _surprise_ him."

"I don't want to intrude on his family time," Skye pointed out, turning her attention to the rack of clothing behind her. When the two had last spoken, Joe had informed her that he wouldn't be able to fly out to Chicago like he had originally planned, stating that he had forgotten about his mother's birthday happening that very same weekend.

She tried not to let the fact that he hadn't had invited her to fly out and attend upset her too much. She was still a bit put off when he didn't try to make plans to see her during Thanksgiving the week prior. Besides, they just started dating. She shouldn't be offended that he wasn't ready for her to meet his family just yet, well she wasn't offended _entirely_.

"I don't get why he just didn't invite you," Nikki commented in confusion.

"I'm sure that he was just trying to make sure that he didn't push me into meeting his family too soon," Skye reasoned.

"Well, if you're not scared to meet them then why don't you fly down there? I highly doubt that he'd just turn you away."

Skye stared at Nikki a moment, considering it. "I don't know..."

"Yes, you do," Nikki countered. "Stop thinking with your head and think with your heart. Where do you want to be this weekend? Sitting at home with your older brother watching some boring hockey game or down in Florida with your hot boyfriend?"

Skye chuckled, "Well, when you put it like that..."

Nikki squealed and clapped excitedly, "Yes! Let's get you a little _something _to wear on your _special_ night."

Before Skye knew what was happening, her friend was dragging her toward the lingerie part of the store.

* * *

That Friday, Skye pulled her rental car into Joe's apartment complex after following Jon Fatu's directions that he had texted her a couple days before.

Tonight, hopefully, will be the night that they move their relationship to the next level and _boy_ could she not contain her excitement.

She knew that he was only in Pensacola for a couple of days and she wanted to surprise him by flying out and spending those days with him. She had been slightly bummed when he couldn't visit her in Chicago, but she understood that he rarely got time to spend with his family, so couldn't be too upset.

If it hadn't had been for Brie and Nikki's encouragement, she probably wouldn't be in Florida right now, so she'll have to thank them somehow.

Turning off the ignition, she released a few breaths and looked around the parking lot, trying to spot Joe's Tahoe. She found it parked in a parking spot not too far away, indicating that he was home. Climbing from the car, she grabbed her small rolling suitcase and placed it down then locked up the vehicle.

She headed toward the staircase leading up to the second level of apartments. Bypassing the first four doors, she finally stopped in front of his and brought her hand up to knock.

Taking a few steps back, she rested against the wooden railing which overlooked the parking lot below and waited for him to open the door.

When the door swings up, she wasn't quite prepared with how surprised he'd be to see her. In fact, the slacked jaw look he was giving her made her giggle slightly.

"Surprise," she greeted, stepped forward and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Uh, hi," he greeted uncertainly, guiding her away from the door, but not breaking their hold. "What are you doing here?"

She pulled back, "Well, I figured since you couldn't come see me that I'd fly out to see you." When continued to give her a weird look, she wondered if maybe she should have called first. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Of course I am," he assured softly as he reached back to close his door a bit which confused her. "I just wasn't expecting you."

"Well, it wouldn't be surprise if I called ahead," she countered simply, eyeing the cracked door suspiciously. "Did I come at a bad time?"

He followed her gaze. "Kind of," he answered, honestly.

Unhooking her arms, she took a step away from him to study his demeanor a bit. He seemed on edge, nervous about something and her eyes immediately went back to the door. "Do you have company or something?"

His eyes casted downward and responded, "Yes."

She felt her insides go cold. Now if this had just been a member of his family she doubted he would look this guilty. No, he looked very guilty about _who_ was in his apartment. She couldn't help but let the utter feeling of dread fill her. This was _not_ happening to her again.

She slowly took a step toward the door, preparing herself for the inevitable.

"Look, Skye, I can explain everything…" She pushed past him roughly and entered the apartment intending to find some beyond beautiful woman inside, but instead her body froze at the sight that she discovered before her.

Her blue eyes widened as she stood stock still in the middle of the living room staring at the little girl sitting on the floor playing with a bunch of Barbie's.

The little girl's braided, pig-tailed head raised to look up at her with bright brown eyes. It was very clear who her father was just from looking at those familiar eyes.

Clearing his throat, Joe came over to where the little girl was sitting. He reached down and picked her up, settling the young on his hip. "Skye, I'd like for you to meet my daughter, Lexi."

Blinking, Skye stared at the pair of them and instead of opening her mouth to acknowledge the huge _bomb_ that he just dropped, she found herself unable to form the words. As the shock wore off, it was quickly replaced with panic. _He has a daughter._ _He's a father. Holy shit._

Obviously, Joe could see the discomfort in her features, so he whispered something for his daughter to give them a moment. Lexi nodded and he lowered her down.

Skye's watched the little girl closely as she disappeared down the hallway toward what she would assume was the child's bedroom.

When there was a soft click of the door, Joe slowly approached where Skye was standing, but halted when she quickly backed away from him. He sighed and ran a hand over his slicked back hair, "Skye...look..."

Shaking her head sharply, she stared at him with a warning gaze as her body slowly trembled. She wanted to say something. Hell, she wanted to yell till she was blue in the face, but she just couldn't make a sound. Swallowing, she looked wildly around the room, finding pictures of the little girl sitting around in various places along with a bunch of girl's toys littering the floor.

No wonder he didn't invite her for the weekend to meet his family or for Thanksgiving. He didn't want her to find out his secret. Why was keeping this from her?

"Please just let me explain," he began with desperation in his eyes.

Running her fingers through her hair, the panic and hurt that she was feeling was starting to really set in and she needed to get out of here before she allowed herself to look weak in front of him. She needed to go. _Now._

Without uttering a word, she spun around and headed straight for the front door, ignoring Joe's pleas. She rushed through the door, snatching up her suitcase that had been left forgotten just outside.

* * *

Minutes later, she was behind the wheel of her rental driving who knows where with her mind reeling. "He has a daughter," she whispered in disbelief. No matter how many times she had said that very statement, she still couldn't believe that it was true.

Beside her, she heard her cell phone ringing in her purse. She knew that it was Joe. Who else would so conveniently be calling her during this time? Ignoring it, she concentrated on the road ahead of her. Her eyes moved to the right and found the beautiful Gulf staring back at her from the distance.

The sounds of waves could really clear her mind, so she found herself directing the car in that direction.

Soon she was plopped down in the sand staring out at the crashing waves as her mind replayed the events that had transpired barely ten minutes ago. She felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket, having turned the ringer off when it kept making its incessant noise.

Pulling it out, she noticed that Joe was now resorting to texts now since he figured the five missed calls were not working. Her eyes moved across the words. _I'm sorry. I know I should have told you. Please come back._

She slid her thumb across the screen and dismissed the text. Instead, she went to her contacts searching through the different numbers and finally selecting the one that she was looking for. After selecting the number, she pressed the phone to her ear.

The voice of Brie Bella filled her ear, "Hey, girlie. Are you in Florida?"

"Yep," she answered, tightly.

"Uh oh, you sound upset," her friend observed. "Look, Nikki's here too, so let me put you on speaker."

"Girl, what's the matter," Nikki asked immediately. "I thought this was about getting some this trip."

"Well, that was the plan until I showed up at his apartment unannounced finding him not _alone_."

"That son of a bitch is messing around on you," Nikki questioned, heatedly. "Do I need to come down and whip his Samoan ass?"

"Nikki, _chill_," her twin ordered. "Let her finish."

"He's not cheating," Skye cleared simply.

"So, what's the issue then? I'm not getting it," Nikki pressed, confused.

With a sigh, Skye choked out, "He has a daughter."

"Oh," Brie began.

"Shit," Nikki finished.

"Yep," Skye sniffed, wiping under her eyes. "I just walked in and _there_ she was."

"Well, what'd you do next?" Brie wondered.

"I left," she answered, incredulously.

"Without letting him explain," Brie asked gently.

"He lied to her," Nikki defended.

"He probably didn't know the best way to tell her," Brie reasoned.

"How hard is it to say 'hey I gotta kid'?"

"That just shows your level of maturity, Nicole."

"Whatever, Miss Perfect," Nikki countered, causing Skye to roll her eyes.

"Could you both _focus_ on me please," she pleaded.

"Sorry," they said in unison, sheepishly.

"Okay, this is not a big deal," Brie assured her. "Yes, he shouldn't have kept this from you, but maybe he was just scared of your reaction. I mean he's a father, Skye. There's no changing that. He was probably thinking about his daughter in all this too, you know?"

"I know," she pretty much whined back. "That's not what's bothering me."

"Well, if him being a dad isn't a deal breaker than I'm confused with what the real issue is," Nikki remarked.

"It's _me_," she answered, loudly. "_I'm_ the issue! Am I really capable of being in a relationship with a guy who has a kid? I'm already insecure about my ability of being the guy's girlfriend!"

"I don't see why not," Brie answered honestly. "You're good with kids. Why does this scare you so much?"

"We get that you had shitty parents, but that doesn't mean you aren't capable…"

The moment that Nikki had brought up her parents pretty much caused her flash back to all those unhappy times of her childhood. She tuned out the rest of what Nikki had to say and spoke up, "Look, I got to think about some things. I'll call you both later." Without waiting for their replies, she hung up and dropped the phone into her lap.

After spending nearly an hour on the beach, Skye pushed herself up to her feet with her phone and flip-flops in her hands then headed back to her car. She had spent enough time mulling this whole situation in her mind and she needed to get to a hotel room to think about what she was actually going to do.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, she plopped down on the bed staring at her cell phone. She hadn't heard from Joe in nearly an hour after his only text. Maybe he was accepting defeat.

Frowning, she clicked at the screen to check the voicemail screen where she saw Joe's unanswered voice messages. There was three total and her thumb hovered over the first one, wondering if she should listen to what he had to say.

With a sigh, she tossed the phone to the side and sat up, crisscrossing her legs on the bed. Burying her face in her hands, she let out a groan. This impromptu trip was not going as planned. She wasn't expecting to be here sitting in a hotel. She was supposed to be with Joe hopefully doing other things and not alone, confused out of her mind. It amazed her how quickly her plans had changed.

Her mind went to Joe. His face had been so dejected when she wouldn't allow him to touch her or to explain. She figured his messages were filled with his pleas for her to give him the chance, but she rejected them by not answering them.

Her heart felt heavy. She had been so focused on her own insecurities that she had forgotten to even think about what he was feeling at the moment. He certainly was a great guy and she was sure that he had his reasons to keep this from her. He deserved the opportunity to provide her with some answers. She would just have to suck it up and listen to whatever he had to say.

When her body continued to just sit upon the bed, she rolled her eyes. "You're being pathetic," she muttered, uncurling her legs then slid off the bed, and standing. After sliding her phone into her back pocket, she went over to grab a zip-up sweatshirt from her suitcase and threw it on. Turning, she went over to the dresser to grab her purse and the keys to the rental then headed to the door.

Ten minutes later, she stood outside Joe's apartment door gnawing on her bottom lip. After checking her watch, she found that it was after eight o'clock and she wondered if she'd be interrupting anything. "Just knock," she whispered. Shaking her head, she brought her knuckles up to tap on the door a few times then readied herself for him to answer. When he did, he stood before her with a skeptical look upon his face. "Hi," she greeted meekly.

"Come in," he requested, stepping aside and allowing her to walk past. After closing the door behind her, he spoke up when she saw her glancing around cautiously. "She's asleep, so you're in the clear."

When he walked past her, she cringed, but felt the need to explain sheepishly, "That's not why I was looking. I'm sure she was quite confused by the _crazy_ lady who bolted at the mere sight of her and I just wanted to make sure that I didn't stare at her like she had two heads again."

He cracked a bit of smile. "Well, to put your mind at ease, she didn't seem at all fazed by your quick exit." Then his face turned somber again. "I, on the other hand, was very much troubled by it."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm sure you were. Can we sit?"

"Sure," he answered, leading her over to the couch. After they were both seated, he sighed, "Look, I'm sorry that you had to find out this way. I mean we've been talking for nearly a month and a half now and there were many opportunities to throw Lexi's name in there somewhere, but I…" He looked away as he trailed off. "I was scared," he managed to admit, surprising her.

She never would have thought that he'd be scared of anything yet _this_ scared him. "Why," she asked softly.

He released a breath and began to explain, "My ex and I have not been a couple for a well over two years. She's moved on and I've tried getting back into the dating scene, but every time I mention my daughter – they all sort just decide that it's not worth it and bail. I guess they didn't want the extra, emotional baggage." His eyes met hers again. "I didn't want that to happen with us. I mean we already have the whole long distance thing against us. I wanted to be sure that I wasn't wasting my time again."

"I understand," she assured him. "I'm sorry for not giving you the chance to explain earlier. I was too busy – _freaking _out that I couldn't think of anything else except to run away. Unfortunately, you'll learn that I have tendency of doing that when things in my personal life get too complicated for me to handle emotionally."

"Do you still feel that way," he asked with hesitation.

She nodded truthfully and he sighed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead," he said as he ran his hand over his face.

"Are you a good father," she asked which seem to puzzle him.

When she gave him a pleading look, he blinked and nodded, "I mean, yeah, I guess so. I worry about not being able to see her all the time and how it might affect her, but I think that I do the best I can."

She eyed him closely, "Do you tell her that you love her every chance that you get?" When he nodded uncertainly, she smiled sadly. "Good. Then you're a thousand times better than my parents ever were."

When he didn't seem confused by her statement about her parents, Skye could only conclude that her brother had given Joe some info about them during their talk last weekend.

"How much did Phil tell you," she asked quietly.

"Not much," he admitted. "He said that you didn't like talking about them much."

"There isn't a need to considering that they haven't been a part of my life for nearly fourteen years." Shaking her head, she stated, "Needless to say, they were not good people." When she saw the look of worry on his face, she quickly cleared, "They weren't abusive or anything just terrible parents who never gave a damn about me which they were very vocal about."

"Why didn't you ever tell me about them before now?"

"When you speak about your family, it clearly evident that you had a great childhood and I didn't. I mean yeah your dad was away a lot, but you always said that when he was home – his family was high priority. I never had that. I was kind embarrassed, I guess - maybe a little envious. I was never thought of at all as a kid. I was just _there._ The only happy memories I have is because Phil was there too. He was just as a miserable, but he made sure that I knew that I was at least loved by someone. He took care of me." She smiled faintly at the thought of her brother and how much they had overcome.

"You're parents never told you that they loved you - _ever_?"

"Not a single day of my life," she answered, shaking her head, "which was weird because I knew they were capable of saying the word because they told my brother all the time."

Joe gave her an incredulous look, "Why just Phil?"

She released a bitter chuckle, "Not Phil. They treated him just as bad. No, I have another brother - _Mike_."

"Why haven't you mentioned him," Joe asked, gently.

She sighed, "I resented him for most of my life because our parents treated him differently. They gave him things like a car, clothes - _love_, but they couldn't spread it out to their two youngest." Shaking her head, she continued, "Mike and Phil had a falling about twelve years ago when Mike stole money from him when he was running his own wrestling federation. Mike stole _a lot_. It pretty much put an end to the business. I'm very loyal toward Phil because he always looked out for me and Mike never did. Mike only thought about Mike. He was more and more like our parents which we despised. We haven't spoken since that altercation. Even though I wasn't out of high school yet, I helped out and even wrestled during that time, so his betrayal directly affected me too."

Closing her eyes, she released a breath, "I'm getting off topic. Mike isn't the issue. It's my mother. My father was an alcoholic, so naturally that was an issue growing up, but it wasn't as bad as being psychologically tormented by your mother. I mean the worse thing he ever did to me was forgetting to pick me up after school or soccer practice. My mother was worse. With Phil, she'd just mock his life choices, but with me it was like she _loathed _me. I was a _mistake_ in her eyes. She never wanted me and she made sure that I knew it."

"When Phil was around, he took the brunt of her distaste, but he finally couldn't take it anymore, so he took off when he was sixteen and stayed with Carol and Chase – his best friend Chez's parents, leaving me behind to deal with them." Her eyes met his again and she felt the need to state, "Don't get me wrong, he _tried_ to get me away from there, but our mother was malicious. She knew how to get back at Phil and that was by not allowing me to leave with him. She even threatened to call the cops if he tried to."

As the tears stung her eyes, she released a bitter chuckle, "Believe it or not that's not the _worst _of it. I mean yeah my mother mentally belittled me for years, but I always hoped that if I did well in school or behaved that'd she would see something good in me."

Biting her lip, she shook her head. "Look, I haven't told many people what I'm about to tell you."

"Look, Skye, you don't have to," he began as he took her hand into his, squeezing it comfortingly. "I get it. We can save that for another time if you would like to."

"I should to tell you," she whispered, firmly. "I mean I trust you with this. I know you won't judge me." When he nodded, she breathed in and out. "It was my freshman year in high school. It was my birthday, so there's no way I would ever forget what day it was. It was almost as if she planned it this way." Shaking her head, she continued, "Anyway, every year I always hoped that my parents would surprise me with a gift of some kind, but every year I was disappointed, so it was a normal, sucky day as I went from class to class. I was sitting in my last class of the day when I get called up to the principal's office."

Her eyes lowered to her lap where their hands were joined. "When I got up there, there was a woman waiting dressed in a business suit along with a cop, the guidance counselor and the principal. I knew that it was something bad. I wasn't fully prepared with what was going to happen. The woman said that she was a social worker and that I was to go with her. I would later find out that my parents were giving me up. They decided that they didn't want me anymore so now I was the city of Chicago's problem. I was given a trash bag full stuff – things that reminded them of me I suppose - and was tossed out like a bag of garbage basically."

Joe couldn't believe that anyone would do that to their own child. He found himself wanting to wrap her up in his arms and just assure her that he wasn't going to abandon her like those awful people had.

Swallowing, she went on, "They couldn't get a hold of Phil because he was out of town wrestling for a few days. Carol and Chase were not related to me, so I was sent to a foster home for a few nights. When Phil finally found out, it took nearly a week before Social Services would allow me to go home with him. He was only nineteen and the state was weary of letting him gain guardianship of me, so that's when Chez's parents stepped in."

"If it hadn't had been for Carol and Chase being the parents that I never had, I would probably be more psychologically screwed up, but I still have some lasting effects. I mean yes I know that my parents were shitty, but they were my parents, you know? You'd think that two people who had been responsible in bringing you into this world would at least care just a little bit."

"It's not your fault," he stated, feeling the need to.

"I know that," she replied, weakly. "Yes, Carol and Chase and their children are my family now, but it's like piece of me is missing. I think that's where a lot my relationship issues stems from - my need to be _wanted _by someone. I think that's my problem. When a guy shows interest, I sort of latch on and try to prove that I'm worthy of his love I guess. I can't really blame them for losing interest or running away. I learned really quickly that I really had some issues. So, I stopped allowing myself to open up to people. I never cared till I met you." She gave him the briefest of smiles. "This thing with my mother has really taken its toll on me. It's made me sort of scared of ever becoming a mother myself. I mean don't get me wrong – I like kids, but Lexi is not just _any _kid. She's _your_ kid." She released a breath. "I don't want to screw this up because your daughter might not like me."

He gave her a baffled look, "That's what you're afraid of?"

"It's stupid, I know, but I'm just really unsure how I can handle all of this," she replied as released his hand to motion to the abundance of girl's toys that littered his living room floor.

"I understand," he answered softly. "I'm sorry if this makes you uneasy, but she and I are sort of a package deal."

"I know," she whispered, reaching for his hand again which seemed to surprise him a bit. "Even though this scares the living shit out of me, I don't want to turn away from this. I mean I know this relationship is new and we still have so much to learn about the other, and maybe I'm the only one that thinks this, but I really see a future with you, Joe." With a soft sigh, she continued. "I don't know what kind of influence I'll be on your daughter, but I'm trying not to let my insecurities ruin what we may have, so I'm not walking away from this."

With a smile, he cupped her face with his free hand, "I see a future with us, too. Despite not seeing you all the time, I feel like I've known you for years and I'm really glad that you are here and that you trust me enough to tell me all that stuff about your parents."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I had ulterior motives for visiting you," she stated, slyly which causes him raise a brow.

"Oh really," he questioned in amusement. "Care to share or perhaps _show_ me?"

She giggled lightly and leaned forward to press her lips against his. "Nope," she answered, pulling back. "Your daughter is asleep down the hall. I should probably go."

"You could," he whispered as he leaned forward to capture her lips again, and she allowed herself to fall into the kiss as his arms circled around her body, pulling her close. He broke the kiss and whispered, "You don't have to go. It's early. We can watch a movie or something – nothing more. What do you say?"

She inhaled his scent, trying hard not to throw herself at him because frankly he smelled delicious. "Sounds good to me," she answered, sliding away from him. "What do you have?"

He nodded toward the entertainment center where she could see some DVD on a shelf. "Take your pick. I'll go get us something to drink and pop some popcorn."

"Okay," she responded, watching him climb to his feet and walk toward the adjoining kitchen. She pushed herself up and went over to make a movie selection. "Okay so apparently all I have to really choose from is the _Rambo_ series, _Terminator_, and a bunch of countless other guy flicks?"

He chuckled from the kitchen, "Well, what'd you expect? I let Ambrose borrow my copy of _The Notebook_ and the dumbass never returned it," he stated sarcastically.

She giggled, "He seems the type to be into that type of flick."

"We can check and see if there is something ON DEMAND," he reasoned as he tossed a bag of popcorn into the microwave." He turned around just as she walked into the kitchen to join him, taking off her sweatshirt.

Her eyes caught sight of a picture hanging on the refrigerator of Joe and Josie from what looked like her most recent birthday party considering the little girl was in the middle of blowing out a birthday cake of candles. Walking over, she stared at it with a small smile, "She really looks like you." Glancing his way, she added, "She's got your smile – those damn irresistible eyes."

"Thanks," he stated, smiling slightly.

"How old is she?"

"Just turned three a few months back," he answered, shaking his head. "Never pictured myself as a father, but she certainly changed that."

Nodding, she stared at him as he poured the popcorn into a bowl. "It suits you," she commented, causing him took at her with a small smile. "You have a tender side." With a wicked grin, she questioned, "So, do you let her braid your hair and have pretend tea parties?"

Deeply, he chuckled, "No on the braiding only because she hasn't quite grasped the concept, but yes on the tea parties. I do the pinkies up and everything."

"I have to capture that on video," Skye teased as she lifted herself up to sit on the part of the counter near the sink. "I'm sure the guys in FCW would die to see Leakee having imaginary tea with his pinky up."

"The things you do for kids, right?"

She laughed with him. "I'll take your word for it."

"What do you want to drink," he asked, heading over to the fridge and opening the door. "I have water, Pepsi, apple juice..."

"Pepsi is fine," she answered, hopping down. "Where do you keep the glasses?" He pointed at the cabinet above the counter that she had been perched upon and she grabbed two.

After grabbing ice from the freezer for the beverages, they headed back into the living room where they got situated on the couch. Joe grabbed the remote and began searching through the movie titles.

Once they had discussed each movie, they finally decided on _Hangover II_ and got settled back.

* * *

A few hours later, the second movie – a romantic titled _One Day_ was play on the screen, but the two of them were paying it no mind. It was just a mere twenty minutes into the film before their attention had been pulled away from the screen.

It had begun with Joe's hand gently caressing her arm as his muscled arm held her close. His touch gave her those tingles and she found herself turning her body into him, tilting her head up.

Now she was straddling his lap as his hands moved up and down her body while their lips assaulted the others. When she felt his hands sliding under her top, she pulled away chuckling and his hands stopped their descent. "Not so fast, mister," she scolded playfully

He flashed an innocent look her way as he panted softly. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

"Perhaps we should call it a night," she suggested as she reached up to smooth back the hair that escaped his ponytail. "It's late and I need to head back to my hotel."

"Or," he began slowly. "You could stay here." When she began to protest, he interjected, "It's nearly one in the morning, Skye. I think we can sleep in the same bed – I promise to keep my hands to myself." He grinned at her. "What do you say?"

"I don't know," she stated uneasily. "What if your daughter wakes up in the middle of the night and walks into your room and finds me there?"

He gave her a gentle look, "My daughter sleeps like the dead and remains that way till somebody has to drag her out of the bed. I promise that you have nothing to fret about."

"Are you sure," she implored.

"Yes," he reiterated. "Now come on." His hands moved her off his lap so that he could stand and he held his hand out for her to take then the two of them were heading toward his bedroom after turning off everything in the living room.

Once in his room, he closed the door behind them then released her hand. "I'll grab you a shirt to sleep in," he said as he walked over to his closet, pulling out a grey _Nike_ t-shirt. He tossed it to her and nodded his head toward the adjoining bathroom. "The bathroom is yours."

"Thanks," she stated as she kicked off her shoes near the bed then disappeared into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she stepped out just wearing the t-shirt that fell just past her backside. When Joe's eyes glanced her way as he was turning down the bed, they locked onto her exposed legs.

Meanwhile, her eyes were taking in his bed attire which consisted of a pair of cotton shorts and no shirt. "Um," she began, clearing her throat. "Your shirtless, I'm without any bottoms, this can't be a good idea."

"Like I told you out there, I will keep my hands to myself. Scout's honor," he told her then gulped. "As tough as it will be."

Shaking her head, she approached the right side of the bed, "It's going to be very difficult trying to fall asleep knowing you're half naked beside me." She climbed atop the mattress and slid her legs under the comforter as he followed suit.

He chuckled, "It's not going to be easy for me either. I'd like more than anything to..."

"Do _not_ finish that statement," she warned with wide eyes. "Seriously, I'm about to go sleep on the couch."

"Fine, I'll behave," he promised, watching her as she got settled. "Hey," he spoke up, getting her attention. "I'm really glad that you're here."

"You can thank the Bella's," she remarked with a shrug. "They gave a bit of a boost of confidence to get on the plane as well as helped me pick out a little _something_ to wear whenever we..."

"You_ really_ should not finish that statement," he half pleaded, half groaned.

She giggled, "Fine. I'll just leave it a mystery for now."

Shaking his head, he twisted over to switch off the bedside lamp and laid back.

Her voice broke the silence in the dark. "Do you mind if I come over there?"

He didn't miss the uncertainty in her voice. "You don't even have to ask, baby girl." He felt the bed shift slightly and soon felt the warmth of her body against his side. His arm wrapped around her as she rested her head upon his chest.

Nothing else was said between the two and soon the only sounds that could be heard were their slow, steady breathing as the two eventually drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay between chapters. I have all these ideas in my head, but it's hard getting them typed up. Another thing about the story, I've decided to change Roman's daughter's name in the story. I just felt weird writing about his real life daughter. I'll probably change Galina's name, too for privacy. I mean I get that I'm writing about real-life people, but she's a kid. It's not a big deal I know, but apparently there some rule about writing about real life people. It's not fair with the whole Wrestling genre since they are real people playing characters on TV. I am planning on continuing to use the real names of the wrestlers in my story. They are adults and in the public eye, so maybe it's not so bad? lol Sorry I spent too much explaining the name change. Anyway I hope you enjoy. Please remember to review! Pardon the errors. **

**A Day at the Zoo**

The next morning, Skye snuggled her face into pillow releasing a soft moan as the suns ray warmed her face, rousing herself from her deep slumber.

Rolling onto her back, she rubbed her eyes and looked over to Joe's side of the bed and found the space empty. She raised herself to her elbows and looked across the room toward the bathroom where she heard the shower running.

Glancing over at the alarm clock, she noted that it was barely past eight. Releasing a soft yawn, she climbed out of bed and slipped on her jeans, deciding to keep his t-shirt on for the time being simply because she liked the _smell_ of him.

She wandered out of his bedroom toward the kitchen, but paused just outside Lexi's bedroom. Biting her bottom lip, she quietly pushed opened the door and found the little girl still sleeping soundly under her floral comforter.

Skye reclosed the door and continued her trek to the kitchen to see if there was anything in the cupboards or fridge that she could mix together into something edible for breakfast. She found all the ingredients that she would need to make pancakes, so went in search of a skillet and mixing bowls.

Minutes later, she was mixing the pancake mix in a bowl when a movement near the hallway catches her attention. Her eyes darted in that direction in time for a tiny head to peek around the wall.

Her movements halted at the sight of the little girl and she felt her heartbeat quicken.

As the little girl stared at her, Skye swallowed and tried not to let her discomfort seem _too_ evident. "Hello there," she greeted softly. "You must be Lexi." Biting her bottom lip, she continued, "We met last night. I'm, uh, Skye – your daddy's...friend." When the little girl didn't respond or make any move forward, Skye tried to remain cool, calm, and collected. _She's just a little girl. Don't be a wuss._ "So, I thought I'd make you and your dad some breakfast. Do you – do you like pancakes?"

She managed to get a small nod from the girl.

"Great," she responded with a small, relieved smile. "Uh would you like to help me?"

Lexi's eyes seemed to brighten. "Can I," she asked softly.

"Sure," Skye answered, relaxing a bit. "Why don't we scoot that chair over here?"

When a dining room chair had been placed in front of the stove, Skye helped Lexi hop atop then reached for the mixing bowl with shaky hands.

* * *

After a long, hot shower, Joe got dressed and exited the bathroom hoping to find his beautiful bed companion still fast asleep. However, he found Skye and her clothes gone. Certainly she wouldn't leave without telling him. A feeling of dread filled him.

The feeling didn't last when his nose caught the scent of pancakes being cooked which made him smile and headed for the door.

As he entered the hallway, he took quick note that Lexi's bedroom door was open and his daughter was absent from her bed, so that only meant one thing.

When he reached the end of the hall, he paused a moment to glance around the corner upon hearing his little girl's tiny giggles.

His eyes caught the two of them at the stove with Skye standing behind Joelle with her hand over Josie's as she helped her flip a pancake over. The little girl squealed, "I did it!"

"Yeah," Skye agreed with a small smile. Even though the smile was genuine, Joe could tell that there was still a little anxiety behind it, but at least she was trying.

With a huge grin, Joe stepped out and commented, "Something smells good."

"Look, Daddy," Lexi stated proudly as she poked at the pancake with the spatula. "I help."

"I can see that," Joe remarked, rounding the counter to join the two of them at the stove. He placed a quick kiss atop Lexi's messy hair before taking stance behind Skye who remained quiet upon his arrival. "Morning," he greeted and softly pressed a kiss against her jawline.

"Morning," she whispered in return.

"Sleep well," he asked curiously as he placed a hand upon her hip. In all honestly, it had been the best sleep that he has had in a very long time.

"Yeah," she answered, leaning back against him. "You're a total bed hog, by the way." She flashed him a teasing smile after the comment.

He snorted, "Whatever." He playfully pinched her sides and she chuckled lightly then helped Lexi transfer the finished pancake to the plateful nearby.

"I think we're ready to eat these things," Skye announced as she turned off the burner while Joe helped Lexi hop off the chair.

"Go to your bathroom and wash your hands, sweet pea," Joe told his daughter, who nodded and quickly hurried to the hallway. He turned around to find Skye grabbing plates from the cupboards. "You don't seem so nervous around her this morning."

"Well," she began with a slight laugh. "You were occupied, so it gave us a moment to get over the whole awkward greeting thing."

"When I stepped out of the bathroom and didn't see you or your stuff, I thought maybe you had..."

"Run away," she supplied as she walked over to set the table. He responded with a nod as he walked to the fridge to grab some orange juice. "The thought _might_ have crossed my mind especially when I poked my head into her bedroom, but like I told you last night. I'm going to try really hard not to get freaked out. If you're curious, I'd rate myself at about 5 on the _freak-out_ scale."

"You will tell me, right," he inquired as he brought the juice and three glasses over, setting them at each plate. "If you ever feel like this is too much for you, you'll tell me? I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me about things like this."

She nodded, "I'll tell you."

"Promise me," he requested, reaching for her hand. "I'm in this, too." He pulled her to him by grabbing her by her waist. "I can't change who I am, but I want to make this work with you. I'd be disappointed if I couldn't try, you know?"

She nodded. "I promise," she whispered, leaning up to place a soft peck to his lips then pulled away much to his dismay when she heard the sound of footsteps hurrying down the hall.

"Slow down," Joe called out to his daughter. When Skye giggled, he gave her a look, "What?"

"You sounded so _like _a dad just now." She backed away when Lexi appeared.

"Well," he began before scooping up his daughter who squealed. He tapped Lexi's forehead with index finger where Skye could see a faint scar at the hairline. "Tell Skye how you got that scar?"

"I was runnin'," the little girl answered, sheepishly.

"Yeah, and ran smack into the doorframe and required about eight stitches. It scared the living _you-know-what_ out of me." He placed a quick kiss to his daughter's forehead before plopping her down in a chair. "Her mother hasn't let me hear the end of it either."

Soon the three of them were digging into the mountain of pancakes and enjoying the morning. As she sat back completely stuffed from eating her fourth pancake, Skye watched the father and daughter talking. He was great with her and that was very evident by the way they interacted.

Joe's brown eyes lifted, catching her and he grinned, "So, what are your plans this afternoon?" She had been quiet for most of the meal, so he wanted to at least get her to open up around his daughter.

"Oh," she responded with a soft laugh. "I haven't really thought about it. My flight doesn't leave till Sunday afternoon then I'm off to the next arena."

"Well, we were planning on visiting the zoo today," he informed her, smiling over at his Lexi who nodded excitedly beside him. "Lex, would you like Skye to join us?"

"I don't want to impose," Skye began glancing anxiously between them. "I don't want to ruin any plans..."

"First, you wouldn't be _ruining_ anything. We're _inviting_ you," he argued playfully. His eyes moved over to his daughter, "Right, sweetie?"

"Uh huh," the little girl agreed, nodding her head.

"So, what do you say," Joe asked, glancing back over to Skye.

"Okay," she answered simply, casting an uncertain look toward his daughter who was too busy licking her fingers free from syrup.

"Great," Joe responded, his smile widening.

"Daddy," Lexi spoke up. "Can I go watch some cartoons?"

"Sure, go ahead," he told her and she hopped off her chair, heading for the living room.

"Are you sure," Skye asked immediately once Lexi was enthralled with _Dora the Explorer_. "I mean this is your time with her. I don't want you to have to sacrifice that time for me especially since I just showed up out of the blue and disrupted your weekend with her."

He gave her a reassuring look. "Maybe I want to spend time with you, too," he pointed out. "I don't get to see you as much either. Plus, it'll give you both some time to get to know each other. I mean it can only help you get more comfortable with being around her."

Her eyes searched his a moment, before finally nodding her head. "Okay," she relented simply.

"Good," he affirmed. "We were planning on leaving around noon."

Glancing at her watch, Skye took note that it was nearly ten thirty. "Well, I guess I better head back to the hotel and get ready."

"What hotel and we'll come by and pick you up," he inquired.

"The Courtyard off of Creighton," she answered and he nodded, recognizing the place.

"We'll pick you up at 12:15," he confirmed.

"Sounds good," she replied, standing to begin cleaning off the table.

He jumped to his feet and stopped her, "I got this."

She gave him an impressed look before nodding. "Well, okay, I guess I'll head on."

"Let me walk you out," he offered, tossing a look over at his daughter making sure that she still in enthralled with her television show.

After grabbing her purse, the two stepped out and Skye giggled when he pulled her against his chest the moment they were alone so that he could press his lips to hers. She settled into the kiss for a few moments before pulling away. "You shouldn't start something that you can't finish," she pointed out, slyly.

"Tonight, I will finish it," he promised, grinning naughtily. When she raised a curious brow, he explained, "It's my ex's parent's anniversary tomorrow and she and Lexi are heading over to Tallahassee to visit her family. I'm taking Lex back home around five, so they can head on that way before it gets too late."

With a seductive smile, she played with the bottom of his t-shirt. "So, that means that will have the place to ourselves and I can show you what I bought."

"Woman," he warned. "You can't keep talking like that in front me and expect me to maintain my sanity."

"Fair enough," she murmured, leaning into his firm chest. "Thanks for letting me stay the night – gotta be the best sleep that I've had in a long time."

"Same here," he agreed, his hands rubbing their way up and down her back. "I hope that my _bed-hogging_ wasn't too much of an annoyance."

"Not at all," she stated, shaking her head. "In fact, I kind of liked having my big, strong man lying so close to me, holding me. I felt _safe_ and _protected_."

His face softened as small grin appears. "I do protect what's mine."

"Don't I know it," she remarked with a soft laugh.

"I hope that doesn't bother you," he stated with a small bow of his head.

"It's sweet," she assured, causing his head to rise then added teasingly, "It's not pig-headed or obsessive at all." When he snorted, she smirked and leaned up to kiss him again. "I should probably get going."

"If you must," he responded before addressing the fact that she was still wearing his t-shirt. "Are you planning on stealing that one, too?"

"Damn straight," she answered with a wide grin. "See you soon." She accepted his hug and final kiss before turning and heading for the stairs.

* * *

After arriving at her hotel, she stepped into elevator just as her cellphone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, noticing her brother's name flashing across the screen. Swiping her thumb across the screen, she pressed it to her ear. "Hey, bro."

"How's Pensacola," he questioned.

"Good," she answered simply.

"That's all," he asked, laughing. "I would have thought you'd be more on cloud nine."

"I am," she chuckled. "I just have something that I need to fill you in on, that's all."

"Uh oh," he commented when tone seemed to change. "Do I need to hop on a plane?"

With sigh, she quickly said, "No, Phil, but just brace yourself for what I'm about to tell you."

"Shit, you're pregnant, aren't you?"

Her eyes widen as she choked out, "_No!_ It's kind of hard to get pregnant when you haven't done the deed in a while."

"TMI," he remarked with a groan. "Then what the hell is it?"

Stepping onto her floor, she walked the remaining way to her hotel room. "Let me get inside my room first."

"You're at a hotel? That can't be a good sign."

"Shut up," she muttered, shaking her head. She entered her room, closing the door behind her then headed for her bed. Once she was situated comfortably, she released a breath. "Joe has a daughter."

There was silence on the other end.

"Phil," she questioned, unsurely.

"That son of bitch," he seethed.

"Calm down," she ordered.

"He has a fucking daughter and you're _just_ finding this out?"

"He wasn't sure how to tell me. He was scared, okay?"

"Scared my ass..."

"Honestly, Phil, I can't blame him too much okay? He's been burnt in the past too. Yeah, he should have told me sooner, but he was just trying to make sure that I wasn't going to run."

She heard her brother release a sigh. "Did you?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "I went to his apartment and there she was. I panicked and just took off. Hours later, I realized that I needed to at least hear him out so I went back."

"So, what's she like?"

"She's three," she stated with a laugh. "I mean I don't have a whole lot experience around kids, but we're going to the zoo later, so I guess we'll find out."

"Don't worry," he told her, gently. "You'll be fine."

"What if she doesn't like me," she asked sheepishly.

"Don't talk like that, Gracie. Just be you. You got a kind heart, sis. I'm sure she will like you."

She sighed, "I hope so. I really want this to work with Joe."

"I know you do." She heard him sigh on the other line and this quickly got her attention.

"Phil, why'd you call?"

He cleared his throat, "Amy and I broke up."

"Why," she questioned immediately.

"Just the same old shit," he responded with a bitter chuckle.

"She wants you to put a ring on it," she answered, knowingly. She released a sigh. "Phil, you two have been doing this thing on and off for nearly two years now."

"You know that I don't see myself as the marrying kind of guy..."

"Why not," she shot back. "I mean you keep telling me that I deserve to be happy and I'll find that special guy to spend my life with. Why can't you have that too?"

"I ain't like you, Skye."

"Shut up with that shit, Phil. I'm not buying it," she told him forcefully. "Just say what you're feeling...you don't want to end up like our parents. They never had the best marriage – they just tolerated each other. I get it, we had _horrible_ example of what marriage should look like, but look at Chase and Carol. They have a great relationship, so at least we have that hope for."

"I just don't, sis. I mean you know that I love Amy..."

"Maybe she's not the one that you're meant to be with," Skye stated gently.

He groaned, "Don't start with the _when it's meant to be_ crap."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm not the hopeless romantic that you're painting me out to be. I'm just saying that maybe the reason you don't think about the whole marriage thing is because you haven't found the person that you can see yourself marrying. I mean it's hard to picture myself getting married, but I'd like to think that with the right person the idea may present itself eventually."

"Sounds hopelessly romantic to me," he teased.

"Shut up," she shot back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm upset, but I'm not exactly blubbering like a baby about it," he stated with a chuckle. "I'll be fine. Been here before, right?"

"Yeah," she answered, glancing down at her watch. "I have to get ready, but I'll call you later okay?"

"Stop worrying about me, Grace. That's my job."

"Your job is to protect from getting hurt," she corrected as she glanced at her upturn wrist at her tattoo – _My brother's keeper_. The moment that she turned eighteen, the two of them went and got the tattoos together just further symbolizing their strong bond. "I'm the one that's responsible for making sure that you don't do anything stupid, so my job is to _worry._"

"Whatever you say, Gracie," he laughed.

"Stop calling me that," she ordered. "I'll call you later."

"Fine. Have fun," he chirped.

She snorted, hanging up.

* * *

An hour or so later, Skye was putting the final touches to her make-up when she heard a knock at her hotel room door. Glancing at her reflection, she swallowed and slowly took a few cleansing breaths before reaching for her phone which rested on the vanity.

Moments later, she opened the door finding the father and daughter standing there.

"Hello there," she greeted, flashing a quick glance at the little girl dressed very cute in a flowery dress, covered with a jean jacket with tights underneath and slip on shoes. "I like your dress."

With a small nudge from her father, the little girl said, "Thank you."

Skye's eyes then went to her hair which was – not a _huge _disaster. With a knowing look towards Joe, she asked the girl. "Did your daddy fix your hair?"

"Uh huh," Lexi answered with a giggle.

Joe laughed slightly, "Well, she didn't want my usual ponytail, so I tried to do that French braid thing and..."

"Failed miserably," Skye teased, and she motioned them inside. "Lexi, would you like for me to fix your hair?"

The little girl nodded which caused her father to laugh again.

"Alright," Skye answered. "Why don't you go sit over in that chair while I grab a comb and some hairspray from the bathroom?" When the three year old went in that direction, Skye headed for the bathroom. She grabbed the two items along with a hand mirror and turned to find Joe standing at the door, blocking her only exit. "Yes," she questioned, smiling.

"Just wanted the opportunity to tell you that you look really beautiful," he stated with that smirk of his.

She glanced down at her attire which consisted of a black tank hidden under a gray Henley shirt with dark denim jeans, and charcoal gray, knee-high, suede boots. She also added a turquoise scarf to add a bit of color to the outfit. "Thanks, I try."

"I'm pretty sure you'd look good in just about anything," he commented with a sense of confidence in in his words. This made her smile just like he knew it would.

"I have a client that it is some major need of some a good hair style."

"Hey, I'm a man. I'm not supposed to be good at stuff like that," he defended with a deep chuckle.

"Whatever you say," she laughed and went to move past him, but his body blocked her path. "Are you going to let me by, big guy?"

"Sure, but first, I'd like to greet you a bit more properly."

"Your daughter is within earshot," she reminded.

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to _ravish_ you," he pointed out, jokingly. "Though," he began, his eyes growing serious. "I would very much _love_ to...I think that a small kiss would hold me over till tonight."

Skye felt her body seem to heat up at the words which caused her bite her bottom lip in anticipation.

"May I," he questioned her, obviously wanting to fulfil his small need. When he gained her permission from her quick nod, he slowly closed the distance and captured her lips in a sweet, yet intoxicating kiss. It amazed her that just such a momentary kiss could cause all these intense feelings ignite within her.

He pulled away and moved his body so that she could pass through the door.

Releasing a slight chuckle, Skye approached where Lexi was sitting. "Okay, let's get this hair done. How would you like your hair, young lady?"

The girl's dark eyes studied her hair a moment before requesting, "I want mine like yours."

Nodding, Skye smiled, "Okay, one fishtail braid coming up."

While Skye tended to his daughter's hair, Joe walked over to sit on the foot of the bed to watch.

As she raked her finger through the little girl's thick brown hair, Skye glanced his way, "She obviously got the _glorious_ hair gene from you – I am of course _immensely _jealous. I never had hair this long at three years old."

It took a few minutes before she finished with the girl's hair. Once she spritzed it with some hairspray, she reached for the mirror. "All done, what do you think?"

"Pretty," Lexi answered, smiling widely and turned to her daddy.

"Very pretty," he confirmed, standing. "Now are we finally ready to go see some animals?"

"Yep," the little girl answered, hopping off the chair and skipping toward the door.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the three of them walked through the entrance of the Gulf Breeze zoo.

"Where should we head to first," Joe asked Lexi, whose mouth was a jar and her eyes wide as she scanned the area around her.

"How about we head start with the petting zoo area," Skye suggested, glancing at nearby sign pointing the way.

The little girl nodded quickly, grabbing her father's hand tugging him in that direction. Smiling, Skye followed and the adventure began.

Nearly twenty minutes later, the trio walked away from the petting zoo area after having fun feeding various farm animals that had been present. Skye found it rather hard to walk away from the pygmy goat that she had bonded with during their time in that area.

The next destination was the giraffe exhibit where they were given the opportunity to feed the tall creatures.

As she stood back and watched Lexi, in her father's arms, feeding a giraffe from the cup of feed, Skye just had to capture the moment on her phone. It was just too cute not to.

Joe glanced her way and motioned her over with his head. "Get over here and experience this with us."

With a small smile and bow of her head, she walked over and took some feed from the cup and lifted her hand up for the giraffe before them to take. She giggled softly when it's rather long tongue darted out and swiped the food from her palm.

"He likes you," Lexi voiced in delight.

"I like him, too." Skye glanced at Joe who was grinning at her. "What?"

"Nothing," he stated with a shrug as Lexi continued feeding the animal.

She chuckled, "Whatever you say, Anoa'i."

When the giraffe had eaten its way to the bottom of Lexi's feed cup, Joe spoke up, "I think he's licked it clean, sweet pea. Are you ready to see some more animals?"

The little girl nodded and he lowered her back to the ground. She rushed over to Skye and grabbed her hand, "Come on, Skye. Let's go see tigers!"

The woman, whose hand she was tugging, stared at her at loss for words. "Uh okay," she managed to utter as she followed the young child.

Tossing the empty cup into a nearby trashcan, Joe strolled after them with an even bigger smile upon his face.

After about another hour visiting with all the other animals, Lexi spoke up from atop her Joe's shoulders. "I have to go potty, Daddy."

Joe glanced around their surrounding before locating a nearby restroom. "Okay, let's make a quick pit stop before we head over to train ride." He lifted her off his shoulders and placed her on the ground. He glanced at Skye. "We'll just be a minute."

"I want Skye to take me," Lexi said as she squinted up at Joe.

He raised a brow. "And just like that I'm replaced, huh?" He chuckled and looked over at Skye who appeared surprised by the girl's request. "Do you mind?"

Blinking, Skye shook head, "Not at all."

Joe watched them head off to the ladies room. While the two were gone, his phone vibrated inside his pocket. He pulled it out seeing that it was his cousin, Jon. "Fatu," he greeted, once the phone was to his ear. "What's up man?"

"Nothing much just hanging out with my girl," his cousin answered. "What are you up to today?"

"Well, I'm currently at the zoo with Lex and Skye."

"Lex _and_ Skye," Jon questioned, impressed. "So, you finally told her, huh?"

"Well, she _found_ out yesterday. Luckily she was more shocked and scared than mad."

"Scared? What's she scared about? That girl has done so many Make-a-Wish requests that it would be a shocked that she'd be scared of your kid."

"It stems from some personal shit, man, and it's not my story to tell," Joe explained simply.

"Got it, say no more, man," Jon responded. "So, how's Skye doing? Has Lex gone easy on her?"

"Actually she's really taken with Skye. It's breaking Skye out of her shell a bit. In fact, it's a huge relief. I figured the moment that she found out she'd go running for the hills."

"Well, you got yourself a good one, man."

"Don't I know it," Joe agreed. "She's really special, Uce. I don't know what I possibly did to deserve this wonderful woman. I don't think I'd ever find someone like her."

"Dude," Jon commented with a knowing tone.

"What," Joe questioned, curiously.

"You sound like you _love_ this girl."

Joe let out a soft chuckle, "It's way too soon to bring that word into this." He tried to not only convince his cousin of this, but himself as well. He thought back to just a half hour ago when Skye had caught him watching her as she fed the giraffe. He had felt something stir inside his chest when he took in her happy face.

"Deny it all you want, but you can't fool me. You _love_ her. Who the hell cares how long it's been."

In his mind, he knew that his cousin was right. Joe released a deep sigh, "Damn it. I _am_ in love with her." Shaking his head, he saw Skye and Lexi coming out of the bathroom hand in hand. "Look, I don't want to scare her off by saying those words to her too soon."

"Well, it's not something you should have to keep in," Jon pointed out. "Just get a feel of the situation before you go blurting them out."

"Yeah, easier said than done," Joe snorted. "I gotta go, man. Talk to you later." With a quick goodbye, he ended the call and smiled at the approaching pair. "All set?"

Both of them nodded and he took Lexi's other hand then the three of them headed for the train ride to view the rest of the zoo.

Joe tried his best not to think about just how in love he was with the woman that was holding his daughter's hand.

* * *

Hours later, Joe pulled his Tahoe up to park under the awning of _The Courtyard_ hotel and the two adults climbed out to stand on the right side of the vehicle.

"Well," he began glancing through the back window at a conked out three year old in the backseat. "I think she had too much fun."

"Clearly," Skye agreed with a chuckle as leaned against the passenger door. "She's really a great kid."

"Yeah she's a keeper," Joe smiled.

"You're really a great dad, Joe," she told him, sincerely.

"Thank you," he responded in gratitude. "Did you have fun?"

"I did," she answered, smiling. "Thank you for inviting me."

"It's nothing. I'm glad that you could come."

"So, tonight," she began coyly.

"I thought maybe that I would cook for you," he told her.

She raised a brow, "Cook for me? So, Samoan men know how to cook?"

"We're the best cooks, baby girl. You just wait and see. Do you have any requests?"

"Anything edible," she stated simply. "I'll eat anything."

"Good, well, I was also thinking that you should probably pack up your stuff and check out of this place because I don't think you're going to be coming back after tonight."

"You seem awfully confident in yourself," she accused playfully. "I hope that you can back it up."

"You learn that there are _other_ things that Samoan men are good at," he explained with a smirk. "So, how about you meet me at my place around seven?"

"Absolutely," she confirmed, stepping forward to lean up and press a kiss to his lips. "See you soon." She began walking away, but turned around and called out, "I'll be sure and wear my _little_ surprise."

His eyes narrowed and called out, "You're cruel!"

She giggled wickedly, "It's just a few hours, big guy. "You'll manage." With a quick wave, she turned and disappeared into the hotel.

Smiling after her, Joe shook his head and walked back around to hop back into the driver seat.


End file.
